The Gabriel Project
by Aceidia
Summary: When Szayelaporro knew Aizen's reign in Heuco Mundo was coming to a close, he took matters into his own brilliant hands. He reincarnates himself and the other nine Espadas into a new life full of surprising turns and irony. Yet, the harmony and ignorance is not forever as they begin to remember. (Cover Art thanks to silvanoir of DeviantArt.)
1. Chapter 1

**Warning: This story is going to be unlike any other reincarnation story you have read so far.**

Please enjoy and review and **above all,**_** thank Silvanoir of DeviantArt for their beautiful image called: NOT DEAD.** It was so beautiful I had to search for it through piles of other wonderful fanart after I forgot to favorite months ago._

So please, enjoy the story.

* * *

Gabriel woke with a start.

He sighed and rolled over in bed.

"Hahaha!" His thirteen-year-old sister called back, shutting the door to her room on the other side of the hallway, her morning duty finished. Never missed a day since she was 7. The only reason she missed waking her seventeen-year-old brother once was because she caught the flu and could not move from her bed to attack him.

Otherwise, Lyneth had made it a point to wake Gabriel up every morning at exactly 6 am in a wide variety of ways. Gabriel on the other hand felt he should be used to her annoying ritual, but it was always so sudden, all he had to say in the morning, like clock work, was, "Damn you, Lyneth!"

And of course, this followed with the voice of his mother from downstairs. "Gabriel! How many times to I even have to tell you?! Language, language! Now get down here and eat breakfast or you will be late for school!"

"Like care!" He called back, crawling out of his bed like an inch worm and headed to his closet.

Once there, Gabriel picked out a pair of blue jeans and a white button down shirt.

It was a Monday morning, He wasn't going to even try to be creative with his clothes.

Gabriel yawned as he finished putting on his clothes and headed over to the nightstand to put on his white prescription glasses.

"And ah…The world comes into focus." Gabriel smiled at his reflection in the full-length mirror by his door and headed to the hallway; fixing a piece of his shoulder length light brown hair as he made his way downstairs. "And of course the world always likes to disappoint…"

"I can't help it." His mother said, looking down from her newspaper at the messy kitchen. "It's you two who make this mess anyhow. Why should I clean it?"

Gabriel rolled his green-gray eyes and sighed. "Mom, for the last time. It's Lyneth who cares to make such a mess."

"Oh, right…" She was not going to buy her son's excuse. "Now go finish getting ready for school and I will get you some kind of food. If there is any left…you two kids just eat too much."

"Which two?'' Gabriel inquired so kindly of his mother who scowled. "There is a third running around here somewhere."

"You and Lyneth." The woman said, adding, "Conner has a normal food intake."

"Speaking of which…" Gabriel glanced around the empty kitchen over the rims of his glasses. "Where is Conner?"

"Right here." A small voice spoke up and Gabriel turned to see his younger brother sitting at the bar stool by the center counter, a bowl of cereal at his place. "And I, unlike you am well rested."

"You don't have to rub it in!" Gabriel yelled, hating how Lyneth hardly cared to wake up the little ten-year-old pip-squeak and let him to his own schedule. "Is that clear?!"

Connor spooned another mouthful of Captain Crunch into his mouth and gave his mom a smile. "Mommy… Gabriel is yelling at me again…."

"I see that." She replied before remind her oldest to not yell so much at his siblings. "And now you ca-wait! Gabriel, where are you going?"

He looked over his shoulder and peered into the kitchen from the front door he was about to open. "Going."

"But you haven't eaten yet and gotten your boo-"

Connor smiled as the door shut with a slam. Great! More cereal for him!

* * *

_I am finished with them… _Gabriel skipped taking the bus to school, deciding to walk the three miles instead. _And what if I tend to yell more than an average person? Well, I don't get average sleep. And- _

He stopped walking and pulled his cellphone from his pocket of his jeans. _"_If my mom wants an explanation, I shall give it to her. No?"

"Hello, Karri here?"

"You really should get Caller ID." Gabriel had to note once again. "Anyhow, I am calling to tell you why I tend to yell at my siblings in the morning. One. I hate having them. Two. I don't get any sleep. I go to bed at three and wake up at six. 3. And didn't the doctor tell you last time I went in for a check up that people like me who have a slower heartbeat also known as Bradycardia Arrhythmia, need good rest to avoid any of the dangers that may arise?"

"Geez… trying to run a campaign are we?" Karri was glad he finally told her some kind of logical excuse. "But, seriously, you have had siblings since you were three and you're stuck with them another two years. Get over it."

Gabriel let out a long, long sigh.

She really did not get it, did she?

Siblings were always such a pain…

_Like I would know…_

"Mom." He continued, "Do me a favor this weekend. 1. Try to see things my way and 2. Do not let Lyneth wake me up at all. Because if you do that, I will try my very best not to yell at Connor. All right?"

"Fine. You have a deal. Now, come back here and get your bag."

"I would love to, but I am a good half way to school already."

"All right." Karri hated to do this, but she knew he couldn't live without them. "I will bring them to you when I take Connor to school in half an hour."

"Thanks." Gabriel really hated to say it, but she was too nice sometimes. "See you later."

"You too. Love you."

"…Love you too." And he hung up the phone and continued his way to school where teenagers were all starting to gather for the beginning of the day.

Gabriel made his way through the ever-growing sea of students, hardly caring if they stared at his messy hair as if it were a new fashion trend and headed inside where he was greeted by the person he and the whole earth could do without seeing:

Hudson.

His name was Hudson Francis Kemper the IV. (Yes, the fourth.)

"And what, what, what, are you doing, walking in front of me without bowing to my presence." The young man in a suit and tie with slicked back dark brown hair asked the taller teenager as he walked through the main doors of the high school.

"Walking by without kissing your patent leather loafers." Gabriel replied, wanting to shove the kid into the trash bin and leave him there to rot. "Got a problem with that?"

"Yes, I-" A shocked look crossed Hudson (etc.)'s pasty pale face. "Get back here, peasant! Where are you-" He heard someone else open the front doors of the school and continued to greet them with a brisk handshake; leaving Gabriel on his one track path to his first class which was mathematics which was not a horrible disappointment.

"At least it's one of the many talents of mine…" Gabriel thought out loud, sliding into a desk in the middle of the near empty classroom. "Along with science and Spanish. But then again…high school is just generally boring… wish I were in University where you learn productive things."

* * *

Eight hours later, Gabriel was free of what he like to call, 'educational Jail' and headed home to serve his parole time on pointless homework and other disasters.

"And of course…" he stared into the large and very nice kitchen from the doorway in shock. Lyneth was sitting on the counter surrounded by not three, but six boxes of cereal and, "One-three-five-seven of your friends. Touch my room and you all are dead."

Lyneth glanced over at her brother who always seemed to exasperated by life and gave him a look. "Duh… Like I would do something like that. Guys have cooties. And if you hurt me, I'll tell mom and I will make sure to wake you up at five!"

"You won't be able to do that, " Gabriel walked over to the kitchen to confront his stupid blonde sister who just seemed to dance through life-like it was some kind of fun game. "Because if I have to beat you up, You will be laying in a hospital bed for the next three weeks. Is that clear?"

"No." She grinned up at him with her most evil smile. "Because, you always say that and who was it that beat you into a pulp when you were ten?"

"…You." Gabriel was never quite sure how she did it, but somehow, she had broken his arm in two places and three of his ribs that day. "So, you're right. I don't stand a chance. But you should seriously consider that Mom won't like to come home from work and see you eating all of this."

"And…" Lyneth waited, a glimmer in her green eyes, "Who is gonna stop me? I mean, if she doesn't see it, she won't know a thing, right?"

Gabriel gave up and walked over to the refrigerator for a snack of his own. Five minute later, he headed up stairs to his room with box of crackers and cheese to eat while he finished his never-ending stack of homework, leaving the refrigerator a little more empty.

He sat down at his desk by the window in his room, wishing that his mother would let him change the blinds to something a little nicer. Such as a fine wood to compliment his other furniture, but she thought that having nice blinds was a waste of money.

Gabriel was halfway through his history questionnaire when he hear voices outside. He set down his pencil and glanced out the window to see a big moving truck in the driveway across the street from his house.

"And people moving in." He noted, glad it was such a cloudy day to rain on all of them. It would prove as entertainment for him since his homework was so boring. "How nice. Not. I bet Ly-oh. There she is." He watched his little sister and brother dance up to the door and knock briskly.

Gabriel watched the door open and watched what looked like a teenaged Hawaiian boy greet them.

_What the hell? _ He thought, watching Lyneth introduce herself. _What the hell is an Hawaiian doing here in Toronto, Canada? I think they will find it is hardly warm at all. But, whatever. Maybe they got tired of Luaus just like I am so tired of living here and doing school work I know is hardly relevant to my life. I was the kid who grew up reading the encyclopedia before bed. Anyhow…what date were the Inuits given protection by the Canadian Government? Donno. Next._

He sat back in his seat and continued his work, ignoring the commotions of human beings moving into a new dwelling outside his window.

* * *

"Milo, isn't it wonderful."

Milo looked up from where he was trying to hook up the television in the living room, five hours later. "What is, Janus?'

His younger brother pointed to a box in the corner of the dinning room that connected with the kitchen and living room. "This."

"And…" Milo wasn't sure why in the world a box was so important. "So?"

"It's the last box."

Ah… Now he understood.

Milo nodded and smiled. "Great…Janus… great…" _And that is not the last box… the one to the right is… but… oh well. I'll just let him have his fun. _

* * *

"Gabriel!" a voice called from downstairs, bringing him out of his studies. "Dinner!"

_Great! Dinner! _Gabriel spun around in his chair and headed out of his room as fast as he could. Sitting there any longer would have caused his feet to fall asleep like his head was. "I'm here." He announced, skittering into his seat at the dinning table next to Connor who would have made a comment of how excited his older brother was about dinner, but was too used to the event.

"And so…" Conner tried his hand at conversation which hardly happened at the table as his parents were always too tired to talk and his siblings were too busy eating. "What happened today? See the new neighbors?"

"Oh yes!" Lyneth nearly inhaled a whole cob of corn from where she was sitting across from him and next to Karri. "Milo's really nice. But Janus is sight-impaired. But it's cool. He's my age and will be going to school with me too. But I don't want to hang with him though because everyone would hate me for life for hanging with the blind kid. But whatev."

"Lyneth…" Evan, their father began from where he was sitting at the head of the table. "Blind people- excuse me, people who are sight-impaired are amazing people and I don't want to hear you talk about the neighbor kid that way."

"But it's true." Lyneth hardly cared, but decided to protest anyhow. "He has a cane and everything. Don't know what happened to his eyes though. Maybe he was gored by a kind of crazy Hawaiian animal who likes to eat eyes. Have to ask next time."

Evan gave up and decided to ask Connor what he thought of the new neighbors.

"They're cool." Connor replied, "Milo's neat. And I don't mean to… stereotype, but Milo can juggle fire. He said he'd show us sometime when it is dark out. And Lyneth, Janus is rather nice."

"Yeah… blind guys always are. They can't tell if you're ugly, so they don't take a risk."

"And while you two argue…" Evan paused and took a sip of his evening coffee. "Gabriel, how was your day?"

"Fine." He replied, not really wanting to talk when there was a feast on his plate. "Saw the neighbors and sadly, Hudson. You know, dad, he is such a pain….I feel like he'd be the guy who drank whisky until he fell over dead. Anyhow, how as your day at the newspaper?"

"Good." Evan worked for the Toronto Times as a proofreader while their mother was the CEO of some kind of company that made a lot of confusing things. Like umbrellas and yet they claimed to be a law firm. "Those writers just keep getting better and better… but thank goodness for grammatical errors, or I would be out of the job."

Gabriel cracked a smile and picked up his fork to begin on the mashed potatoes. "Wonderful. Now pass the salt."

* * *

Author's notes:

Hello my Dear Readers,

This story here, occurs after the Winter War and everything that happened, happened. So everyone died, including Tia (even though she didn't in the original one. But the thing is when I read the manga, I didn't know she survived.) Anyhow, this story is a reincarnation story with no gender bending, (It is fun to do, but I feel like it is best this story to keep everyone in their character gender), with the one exception of Coyote Starrk and Lilynette. They are female in this story as if they were not, Tia Harribel would be the only woman and that would make me upset. I have written this story for the past month and I have just been dying to share it and I finally knew it were time.

And the 'Damn you' gag is from the Addams Family movie. If you haven't seen it, you should. It is one of my all time favorites.

Thanks for reading and** Silvanoir of DeviantArt for their beautiful image called: NOT DEAD that I love, love, love!**


	2. Chapter 2

Vicente grabbed the teenaged boy's arm and slammed him into the concrete wall of the dark alley way. "So, what will it be. The two hundred you owe me or trip to the ER?"

"I…I don't have the money!" The teenaged boy cried, "I really don't!"

"Like I am supposed to believe that." Vicente kick him in the shin, making him cry out. "You lost didn't you?"

"Y…yes! I am so sorry!"

"Sorry ain't gonna do it."

Vicente smirked as his sister Azura walked up to question the victim. Today she were dressed in all black leather and her choppy bright red hair hung down past her shoulder blades.

Vincente stepped aside. "He's all yours…"

"Thanks," She bent over and spit on the ground next to her feet before taking the captive by the neck and her deep brown eyes drilled into the back of his head. "Pay up, asshole."

Vicenete turned around to survey the alleyway for any damn cops as he heard muffled screams and cracking sounds from behind him. Azura hardly got carried away at all…

"You done?" He asked ten minutes later, looking at the scene in case he were forced to re-account it later for the police.

"Nah." Azura pulled out her switch blade from her pants pocket and began to lay into the guy. "Just a sec…"

Vicente grinned as he heard a violet scream. "I think…I think he needed that."

"Right, he did." Azura glanced at the finger in her hands and tossed it over her shoulder on the dirty cement. "Too bad he ain't a lizard."

"I would say the same th-what was that?"

"A thumb."

"Cool. Got the money?"

"Not yet."

"Shoot."

"You mean, fuck."

"What ever, Azura….fuckity, fuckity, fuck. Just get the money already. I want to go to that concert this friday and guess what today is? Tuesday."

"No, dumbass," Azura could not believe how idiotic her brother was sometimes. "It is Wednesday."

"Tuesday!" Vicenete pulled out his phone and pointed at date on the screen. "See?"

"…Fuck. You're right."

"Hooray." Vincente cheered, a smirk creeping across his face. "I love being right."

"We know." Azura shot back, turning to the poor boy who was now missing more than a few digits. "You don't have to rub it in."

"What ever." Vincente put his phone back in his pocket and pulled out a comb to fix his curling black hair that made his tan Greek skin look far more attractive to the ladies. "Now get it over with. We have to go deal with Coeur D'monde who I just hate."

Azura glanced over her shoulder at her younger and yet taller brother. "Yeah? So? Why don't you go deal with him? I'll be there soon."

"Fine, fine…" Vincente mumbled, shoving his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. "I'll go do that. And if you get put in jail, don't bother calling."

Auzra just held up her middle finger and Vincente walked away down the ally towards the sidewalk without a second word, leaving his sister to her work of extorting loaned money from another deadbeat.

He walked down the street, his feet almost leading him right to the doorstep of his next case.

Vincente reached up and knocked on the shabby apartment door with his leather gloved hand. He immediately heard a commotion inside the dirty flat followed by panicked voices. "Great, great… little punk trying to sneak out, is he?" He turned on heel and headed back down the steps to his left and headed around the side of the building, just in time to catch the escapee by the jacket and throw him to the ground.

"Oye, where are you going?" Vincenete demanded of his newest client who only mumbled because his face was being crushed into the gravel in the parking lot. "Great. Then, you and I we can finish our deal. Deal says, you borrowed six hundred and now you owe us nine. Got that?"

The young man under his grasp turned his head to the side to speak. "But…it is not collec-"

"Don't give me that, Coeur." The Loan Shark grabbed a handful of long black hair and pulled Coeur's head back as far as it would go. "You and I are friends, you see? I give you money for a while and then you pay it back like a good boy…right?"

"I would." Coeur said, not liking being man-handled by this thug. "I just have not been having a good day. I got fired from my job at the dinner and-"

"I don't want excuses! I want re-payment! With interest!"

"Yes, yes…" Coeur was hardly intimidated by Vincente's insistence, but really did not want to spend a bank-breaking week in the hospital. "I will get you the money."

"Good…" Those were the six words, Vincente like to hear from any client of his. "When?"

"A week."

"…Fine. A week or your face will be no longer kissable."

"And does it matter how I get the money?" Coeur asked, his voice still calm, despite his heart beating faster than a 80's disco record. "Could I steal it?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Vincenete did not why this kid even bothered to ask a stupid question like that. "Don't matter."

"Good. Then let me stand up." Coeur asked not wanting his clothes to be ruined farther. "…Please?"

Vincente glanced down at the eighteen-year-old who was staring up at him with desperate green eyes. "Fine. Just let me-" He slammed Coeur's face into the ground, his nose breaking on contact. "Show you what will happen if I don't get that money, now I leave ya." He let go of Coeur's hair and climbed to his feet. "See ya in a week. I'm headed to the next deadbeat." He zipped up his leather jacket over and headed off, leaving Coeur to lay on the ground, moaning.

It was gonna be a nice day.

* * *

Author's note: That last line is from Gumball Rally. I hope you all enjoyed.


	3. Chapter 3

After school the next day, Gabriel decided to do something completely insane.

"Hello?" Milo asked the person who just knocked on front door.

Gabriel tried his best to smile, but it ended up look like more of smirk. "Hi. I live across the street."

Milo raised an eyebrow, not sure what to think of this young man. "I live here…how are you?"

"I am good." Gabriel replied, wishing to just go home, or somewhere that wasn't home. "I also came to warn you that it may be loud over at my place tonight. Little sister is having a sleepover."

Milo groaned loudly and pulled on the ends of his pony tail in to keep the hair tie from falling out. "Great…Just great…"

"I know." Gabriel couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "I have to live over there."

"Unless you want to come over here." Milo offered, only to get a strange look in return. "But I guess not. Anyhow," He paused to pull his grey sweatshirt sleeved shirt over his head to take it off. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen." Gabriel reached up to fix his glasses and added, "I like the outfit."

Milo glanced down at himself to find he was wearing black shoes and pants was wearing a sweatshirt that said, 'Keep Calm, I'm the Doctor.'. "Thanks. Doctor Who Fan?"

"Yes, actually. Anyhow, how old are you?"

"Fifteen." Milo said sadly, "So I won't be in your class, unfortunately."

"It's okay." Gabriel told him, "Just beware of Hudson. He's in your class."

"Hudson?"

"Oh, Sorry. Forgot you don't know him yet. Upper-class snob, likely evil."

Milo laughed and added, "like your sister?''

"Yes. Like her. " Gabriel confirmed, wishing this poor fifteen-year-old had not met his sister. In fact, he wished no one had as she was rude and annoying as hell. "But… anyhow… Sorry about her. Other people to take note of at school?…No one else, really. Just take in mind that the library won't let you check out books if you have two dollars in fines."

"Great to know." Milo said with a wide grin. "And so, I have to go get dinner ready and I will talk to you later."

"Sure…But… one thing…" Gabriel tried his best to sound like he wasn't prying. "Where are your parents?"

"Oh, they are coming in later today. They left to go get some food. Don't worry! Not dead!"

"What a shame."

"Neah…" Milo said not sure what to say beside that, "I don't think so. I really rather like mine and you know, if you want to hang out sometime… It would be nice."

"Sure." Gabriel muttered without thinking. "But I don't really, 'hang out' pre say, but I wouldn't mind having nice chat over a cup of tea."

"Great." The two shook hands and Milo closed the door to his house, only to pause, rather bewildered. "Cup of tea… now, why does that sound so familiar?"

"I don't know." Janus walked over to the door and peered out the peephole only to see blurs. "But you are right… that does sound rather…nagging."

"Yeah…" Milo wasn't sure what else to say, but it was like a name he couldn't remember.

"Anyhow." He made his way down the hallway into the living room full of boxes followed by Janus who began to hum a toon. "Do you want to play some kind of boring board game?"

"No way." Janus sat down on top of a stack of boxes and began to think. "I want to go out the garage and start setting up my instruments."

"Well, why don't you do that?"

Janus hopped off the boxes and made his way to the garage door. "See you in a while."

"Great, great. Abandon me." Milo pretended to complain, reaching in the cupboard next to the stove for the single pot their had unpacked. "Have a nice time and leave some room for the car."

"I will." Jaunus grabbed his white cane and a blue jacket that matched his navy jeans and shirt. "See you later."

"Later!" Milo called from the kitchen and the door leading to the garage was shut with a gentle 'click'.

Back at his house, Gabriel marched upstairs to his room and locked the door. Teenaged girls got too wild when confronted with sleepovers, candy and endless television. The last time he forgot to lock his door, which was six months ago, he woke up in the middle of the night to find his face being painted with hearts and unicorns….

All while the girls snickered and talked about how cute he was.

Which was really, really weird as he was far too old for them and how in the world did they know what a hickey was?

"_That. _Is what concerns me…" Gabriel sat down on the cream covers on his bed and took his shoes off. "And dear God, the noise… hours and hours of-"

Someone knocked on his door. He glanced up, letting a shoe fall to the ground. "Who is it?"

"Connor. I seek refuge!"

Gabriel sighed. As much as he didn't like Connor for all of his annoyance, he couldn't be so cruel as to deny his younger brother sanctuary from a mass of girls who wanted to go out with him. "Come in!"

The doorknob moved, but didn't open. "I can't! It's locked!"

Gabriel stood up and went over to the door. "Hello."

Connor smiled sweetly and stared up his older brother. "Hi… I…" He glanced down at what he had in his hands. "Brought…some of the candy?"

Gabriel nodded and shoved him inside the room, locking the door behind him.

"Lyneth does not know this candy ever existed." Connor said, setting the large bowl of Snickers, Reeses and other sweets on the bed. "Because, if she does, we won't get to have any."

"All so true…"

"So," Connor began to much on another piece of candy, "What do you want to do tonight? You don't have a TV in here, but we could go do something…"

"Maybe we should go out or something." Gabriel suggested, not wanting to hear the sounds from '_Bring it on 3' _coming from the downstairs living room the whole evening. "How about we just go… shopping."

Connor made a face. "I am cool with the shopping… but you, Gabriel, are desperate. You hate shopping!"

"I know I do, but it beats sitting up here. Besides we could check out a few of the funky shops in the city."

"If mom will let us…" Connor wasn't sure if they would be allowed to go out at night, but it was worth a shot. "But then again, we'll beg."

"No, no, no." Gabriel turned his nose up. "I am not begging. That is just too low for me!"

"Fine." Connor opened another candy and popped it in his mouth, "I. Shall beg."

"And why that look?" Gabriel scowled, not liking the dirty look he was receiving from his younger brother.

"Because you are just too vain." He replied, sticking out his tongue. "Anyhow, why don't we go ask, mom?"

"Why don't-" Connor grabbed his brother's arm and dragged him to the door and down to the living room where Karri was sitting reading the newspaper watching Evan set up Lyneth's sleepover supplies.

"Hi, Mom! Can he and I go out to the funky thrift shops?"

"Thrift-" Gabriel began only to get an elbow in the ribs.

"Yes, thrift shop." Connor said, not wanting to go to a fake trendy store right now. "Please, Mom, please?! We'll be good and call you every ten minutes and be on our best-"

"Get going, kids." Karri did not have to hear a long speech from Connor on being good. In fact, he was the best kid she had and she wasn't going to let him (or Gabriel) suffer all night. "And remember to call, okay?"

"Of course, we will." Gabriel nodded and gave his little sibling a look, then he headed back upstairs to get his shoes.

The two of them were out of the house in the next five minutes and were driving down the street in the family car, listening to silence.

"Great job of begging." Gabriel had to point out to Connor who was sitting in the passenger seat next to him. "You excel in groveling…"

"Thank you. Not. Anyhow, where do you want to go first?"

"Somewhere." Gabriel said, making a right turn at the next light to head into the downtown. "And now," he said, getting out of the car and locking the door after twenty minutes of trying to find a space to park. "Where shall we go?"

Connor shut his own door and glanced around the rather busy strip of thrift shops where people were enjoying a nice Friday night. "Why don't we start down here and work our way over there." The young boy pointed a few blocks away, "it's only seven and nothing closes until ten. So, that gives us-"

"Four hours…" Gabriel moaned. "I hate this idea already."

"Why so grim?" Connor asked, just to push a few buttons. "Don't we love shopping?"

"No, we don't. How many times to I have to tell you-" He was dragged into the nearest door and into a- "Oh, God! What the hell is-"

"It's an hippy-dippy shop full of awesome!" Connor grinned and disappeared into the mess of brightly colored retro artifacts, leaving Gabriel to stand in the doorway to try and breath the incense filled air.

"Come on!" Connor called five minutes later from the back of the shop. "I found an old vending machine and it still works!"

Gabriel sighed and made his through the old wooden tables to the back of the store where he found his younger brother staring at awe at the old machine which looked like it was ready to fall apart. But the lights still flickered on and off. So it was in fact, still working. "Nice… Would like to see what Mom says when you bring that home and fill it full of Coca Cola."

"Me too!" Connor wasn't sure if cans would fit into the machine made of the ancient glass bottles, but he was sure he could get it to work "Let's see how muc-owowowowowwww! Ouch!"

"Ouch?" Gabriel stared at his brother who stared at the tag. "Where is that? Between 'oh' and 'twang'?

"No, no. Right between 'twang' and 'boing!'."

"Ew…Let's go look at a different store."

"Good idea…" Connor turned and made his way to the door to head to the next store. "Because who needs a 700 Dollar machine?"

They skipped the next store as it was one full of things their grandmother would have liked and went right to the next where there was a strange assortment of old guns, little girl dresses and the most shocking pictures which left little to the imagination. So, after deciding they didn't need a (another) poster girl or boy for their rooms, Gabriel and Connor went into another 'Grandma Store' after a long debate of if it were really worth it to be subjected to all that lace.

"But, we have time to kill and if there is anything that kills time, it's looking at Grandma stuff." Connor pointed out and the two walked into the store and headed straight to the back corner to start digging.

"And this…" Gabriel held up a small angel statue that was colored like a picnic blanket, 'is the definition of frumpy."

Connor laughed and picked up a quilted-tea pot cover. "No, this."

Gabriel glanced down at his angel and then at the cover. "Fine. They both win."

"Good. But this one takes all." Connor glanced around the store just to make sure no one would notice the insane laugher which would follow the moment he picked up this item in the back of the shelf. Once he knew the coast was clear, he picked up a flowered apron sitting under a table which read:

_ Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Eat What I Cook Or I'll Sue_

"Isn't it funny?" Connor could not believe someone would actually take time to embroider a saying like that on an apron. "I think that the pink flowers really add a nice….Gabriel?"

His older brother just stared into space.

Connor reached up a hand and waved it in front Gabriel's face. "Hey? Earth Gabriel, come in-"

A hand grabbed his arm mid-wave.

"Stop it, Connor. I'm fine I just…don't… believe it…" Gabriel gently moved his brother to the right a little and walked over to kneel by a clutter filled table next to the shelf.

Sure enough…there it was.

Rather rusty, but…

_What am I doing looking at a…sword? _Gabriel picked up the white sheath and stared at the hilt. It was a truly strange sword with a faded purple diamond wrappings and what looked like a cluster of matching marbles in place of a balance…_But why does it make me want to cry? _

"What did you find?" Connor's voice asked from over his shoulder.

"I don't really… know…" Gabriel stood up and held out the sword for him to see. "This. I…I have to have it. I don't know why, but… It…"

"Yeah, have it." Connor wasn't sure why his brother looked like he was actually going to cry and what the heck a sword was doing in a Grandma shop. "Can I see it?"

Gabriel glanced down at the sword, not sure why he didn't want it to leave his hands, but shoved the feeling into the depths of his heart. "Here."

"Why tha-" Connor nearly fell to the floor as the sword was handed to him but his older brother caught him at the last moment. "Wow… this thing….weighs a ton."

"It does?" Gabriel was sure it was no more heavy than an average sword of the same size. Even less maybe. "I didn't notice."

"Really?'' Connor tried to hand the sword back to his brother, but he couldn't lift it. "You didn't notice at all?"

Gabriel shook his head. "No. I didn't. But…" he bent down and picked the sword right out of Connor's hands making the boy stare in awe at how effortlessly the task was accomplished. "I am buying this sword."

"And how much is it?"

Gabriel paused to look at the tag. "Boing!"

"Esh… you sure? You never like-"

"I am buying. This. Sword." Gabriel huffed and marched off to the checkout counter.

"But he never liked swords…" Connor muttered before racing after him to the counter where the woman behind it were staring at his older brother like he was insane.

"You want this… sword?" The woman had that thing in the corner to collect dust. "I have no idea how it got here, but… are you sure?"

"I am?" Gabriel wasn't sure why she seemed to want him to buy something else. "Why?"

"Because it so old and heavy. I was going to throw it out, but no one could move it. There is no way you are going to able to mount it on your wall, kid."

"I don't want to mount it on my wall." Gabriel replied, knowing that this sword did not belong on a wall like a simple picture. "Here's my card for payment."

The woman smiled and hesitantly took the debit card to make the transaction. "Have fun, I guess. I don't usually let people return things, but you can if you-"

"I don't want to return it." Gabriel cried, not sure why he would want to do something like that. "But thanks. And…Why should I even ask, but… do you know anywhere else that has swords? I…_" What am I doing anyhow? That is insane…and why would I ask for something like that, _but he asked anyway, "Do you know where a sword might be that… it's really odd. But… tall… curved…like two crescent blades with the blades on the inside on a long…pole, is?"

"…No? Never heard of any thing like of the sorts. Have a nice day, and don't hesitate to return it."

"That was weird…." Connor said as he walked down the street with his brother who seemed to be suddenly happy. "And you are weird-er."

Gabriel stopped walked and turned to stare down at his pesky brother over the rims of his glasses. "How so?"

"You have a large crazy grin on your face and you just asked the lady for a very strange sword. That would not even work as a sword. What are you? A sudden collector?"

"I don't know." He replied honestly, "I don't really know what came over me in there, but… this sword… I really don't know. Anyhow, do you want to go put this in the car and then get something to eat?"

Connor shrugged, "I don't care as long as you stop acting weird."

"Okay…fine…I'll just, be me?" Gabriel pasted a scowl on his face, "there. Better?"

"Not really…but…does the sword even come out of the holder-thing?"

Gabriel glanced at the sword he was clutching close to his chest like it would run away if he let go. "I don't know."

"Why don't you try it?"

"Maybe when we get to the-" Gabriel suddenly turned and led his brother into a small park to the left. "Let's sit down on the bench and look at this…beautiful thing."

Connor sat down the small bench that was next to the children's play ground that really looked like it was in the middle of nowhere land. Or it was here and all of the shops where built around it. "Okay? Why the sudden impulse to sit on a park bench…ten feet from our car?"

Gabriel shrugged. "I don't know. I just did it."

"Weird…er…I'm gonna call mom…" Connor pulled out his phone and put it to his ear.

"Hi kids, how are you?" Karri asked from the other end as she picked up. "What's- Would you all be quite?!" She tried to yell over the noise of screaming teenaged girls as they watched some 'hot guy' on the TV. "So Connor, what's up?"

"Mom…" Connor glanced over at his older brother who just did the strangest thing. "Gabriel just kissed a sword. Why? I have no idea. We went to this great shop full of stupid grandma stuff and Gabriel found a sword and he's been acting so strange since he got it. I think we should take up the lady's offer and retur-okay! We won't!" He cried, getting a very scary glare from Gabriel. "I'm just kidding! Don't cry! Mom! This stupid sword is actually making him cry. I don't know why… but I'm kinda concerned here…"

"Yeah…" Karri agreed. "Me too, in a weird way. Anyhow, what else is up?"

"Nothing else. You surviving?"

Karri winced as the girls screamed as the other guy came onto to screen (and this was the bad-boy who was going to get the girl in the end), and sighed. "I am trying my best. So far I am just trying to drown it out… thankfully the police haven't come around to tell us to be quite. Wish they would, though. Anyhow, why don't you two head back to the house and I can make you all some food?"

"Great idea." Connor got off the bench and grabbed Gabriel's arm. "We're coming." After he hung up, he led Gabriel to the car and made him put the sword on the back.

"But you have to buckle it up!" Gabriel complained as he climbed into the driver's seat.

Connor gave him a look. "Really? No. We are not buckling up the sword, now drive!"

"Fine! I will. Now stop protesting and turn on the radio!" Gabriel cried, and the two began their not so quite journey back home because Connor insisted on asking at a stop light, "Why do you still look like you're gonna cry?"

"I am not going to cry!" Gabriel argued. "Now shut up!"

"Esh… You are gonna…I can see the tears in the corners of your eyes."

"I am not, now stop it." Gabriel shot back, still feeling strange. _But why? It's just a sword and… I don't know… _"Okay?"

Connor sat back in his seat and crossed his arms. "Fine, I won't. Here we are." He announced ten minutes later as they pulled into the driveway where they could hear sound from inside. "And now we get out of the car and head inside, Mr. Strange-o."

Connor paused.

Gabriel hadn't yelled at him for the remark and so he took it upon himself to remark, "you are seriously ill or something…" With that, Connor left Gabriel in the driveway and headed into the house. When he came to the kitchen, Connor told Karri his observations over the loud squealing of girls as they wrote 'hawt and smexy' fan fiction of their favorite characters in the corner of the living room.

* * *

Author's Note: Yes. Fan Fiction.

And yes, the swords are going to be a part of this. From here, this story only gets more fun. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

He waited a few minutes after his brother disappeared into the house. Once Connor was gone, he grabbed his sword out of the back seat of the car and crept upstairs to his room.

Once there, Gabriel shut the door quietly hoping no one downstairs heard him. He sat down on his bed in the dark to stare at the sword in his hands. "You… you are so…"

_Beautiful? Real? I don't know what word to use… and…damn it! I have never seen this thing before and yet… why… why am I crying? It is like I…I missed you. I missed…_ Gabriel held the sword up to the orange street light glow coming through his window making white sheath glow. "You…but…you aren't a…person. You're a sword…one…one with no…soul…and I know I am going insane…aren't I? Oh well… It doesn't matter anymore." He reached a hand up and wiped the tears off his face and after hesitating a moment, drew forth the blade from the sheath. "And… I don't know what to say…" He turned the sword around in his hands, observing it from all angles. He wasn't sure, but in the darkness of his room, the top of the blade was mostly black while the edge was silver. "Besides a bit of chipping on the hilt, you haven't rusted…Only collected dust bein-"

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Who is it?" Gabriel called, putting the sword on the bed next to him.

"Your not so weird brother, Connor? And Mom?" A voice replied hesitantly.

"Come in?" Gabriel offered, not sure he wanted them to bother him now, but the two of them walked in to his room anyhow. "Hi?"

"Hi." Connor danced over after flicking on the lights and sat down on the bed next to him. "I told Mom everything and she agrees you're acting weird. So we are here to make sure you aren't sick or anything. Hey, can I see the sword?! It's actually black? Weird. Anyhow-"

"Connor." Gabriel rolled his eyes, "I am fine. Anyhow, you have had too much candy today."

"I don't care. Can I-" The sword was handed over to him and Connor slid off the bed to the floor. "Wow…Mom, you gotta see this…"

"See what?" Karri only saw her youngest had fallen to the floor and Gabriel looked ready to snatch the sword back. Obviously nervous his brother was handling the dangerous looking weapon. "I don't see much at all."

"I want you see how heavy this sword..." Connor crawled over to his mother standing at the end of the bed. "is."

"Okay. How heavy is it?"

"You have to see...I can't... tell you."

Karri sighed "Fine. I will." She bent down and took it out of his hands, only to stagger backwards. "Woha… that is, very, very heavy, Connor. And AH! Don't let go of-Connor... I can't hold this on my own!"

"Sorry!"

"Yeah…Right.. you aren't. I know that voice." Gabriel muttered from where he was watching them from his bed, a frown on his face. "now, I am glad you two had a chance to look at the sword. Now, can I have it back?"

"If you come and get it." Karri sank to her knees and continued to glare at Connor who as grinning, "because I can't make it over there."  
Gabriel walked over to his mother and plucked the sword right out of her hands.

"What?" He asked, getting the same look of awe from her as he did from Conner earlier that day. "It doesn't feel heavy to me at all. I don't know why you two are crawling around on the floor."

"I told you it was weird…" Connor reached up to the bed and grabbed another candy to eat our of the candy bowl on the nightstand.. "And he, Gabriel sitting next to me, who is looking at me like he's going eat me alive, started acting so strange. I know for a fact, Gabriel lost a few bolts between here and the shop.

I thought about telli-"

"I did not lose a few bolts!" Gabriel shot back, running his right hand over the flat of blade, praying it was not a dream. "Sure, I may have been a little more emotional than usually but I have not been-"

"But you have been!" Connor argued, glancing at his mom to cut in; but she only sighed. "I am serious. He-"  
Someone knocked on the bedroom door.

"Come in!" Connor said and Evan came into the room, still dressed in his work clothes. He looked rather confused and was only more so when he saw the scene before him. Karri frowning, Connor grinning and his other son sitting on the bed next to a sword.

"Wha…what is going on here?" Evan asked, hoping he wasn't making a mistake. "And… What is a weapon doing in our house?"

Karri glanced at Gabriel who was not sure what to say on the matter besides, "Um… hi, Dad, what is up?"

"Not much? I returned home from work and Lyenth sent me up here because she said there was a party up here. I don't know? Anyone care to explain?"  
Connor's hand shot into the air and Gabriel wrenched it back to his side. "No, you don't get to explain, you little… I do. Dad, hi. We, Connor and I went shopping and I found this really neat sword and-"

"You let him buy a sword?" Evan asked Karri, demanding to know where her better judgement went. "You know how I feel about weapons in the house, dear."

"I know." Karri wasn't going to argue and with how much the sword weighed, Evan could toss it if he could carry it. "Gabriel just came home with it. I was busy keeping the girls from watching _Mean Girls 2_, So I wasn't really there to say, no."

"And I am guessing you want me to explain myself." Gabriel spoke before Connor could get a word in edgewise. "Then I shall. I found this lovely sword in the back of a thrift store and I knew I had to have it. It's as simple as that."

Evan sighed and reached a hand up to take his red tie off. It had been a long, long day and it looked like it were going to be an even longer night. "Uh…huh…and why do you must have a sword? One that looks long, sharp and dangerous?"

Gabriel glanced behind him at the sword on his bed and shrugged. "I… I just had to. I can't really explain it."

"Karri…" Evan was out of words. "Help me, please."

"No, no." She backed away and sat down in the spinning desk chair. "You brought it up. I would have said something, but my brain has died a slow and painful death. All thanks to _My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic._"

Everyone in the room paused.

"What? It was better than _Mean Girls_!" Karri cried, not sure how to explain it. "The girls discovered that the series is popular with a lot of guys at their school and so, they are watching it so they can maybe hold hands or what ever they do. Anymore rainbows and glitter and I'm evacuating."

"Yeah…" Gabriel snatched up the sword on the bed and held it for comfort."Count me in."

"Maybe we can go pony slaying…with that." Connor pointed to his brother's sword. "Or something… I donno."

"Guys, guys!" Evan laughed, not sure what was wrong with them as My Little Pony was just great. "The show is so much fun and we need to get back to the real matter at hand! Gabriel, you need to take that sword back. I won't have it in the-"

"I must have it."

"I know you just-"

"You don't get it, do you?" A slender finger fixed a pair of white glasses and another hand reached to fix a piece of hair. "I will not be parted."

"Or he's gonna cry." Connor snickered, backing away a little.

"It…" Evan glanced at his son who suddenly looked like some crazy maniac with the way his eyes flashed dangerously and a smirk appeared on his face. "It…That thing…It's a sword, Gabriel. Not…really…"

"I don't care it if it isn't 'allowed'" Gabriel muttered, just wanting to laugh at how silly these people were acting. "I am keeping it. Is that clear?"

"And I am your parent, is that clear to you?" Evan did not like the way he was being talked to. "I won't stand for any of your teenaged rebellion right now. I had a long day at work and I am missing My Little Pony, that at least one of you like to watch now. So, don't you take that attitude with me."

"What attitude?' Gabriel finally let himself laugh."This is me. Don't you know?"

"Well… I hate to say this, but you are usually nieue erhr ahn tis."

Gabriel frowned. _What did he just say?_

"And," Evan slowly put his hands in his pockets. "I rehahh meiiee…neehhiee-"

"Dad, I can't understan-" But the strange sounds mumbled on and on, as if the world itself began to slow down. What is going on here?! Gabriel glanced around the room, only to see everyone standing still.

Too still.

Once again, you and I are together.

Gabriel slowly glanced at the sword in his hands. _What?_

_It is I. Well, you. It is a long story. I am you and you are I. But you enjoy calling me by a different name. Fornicaras._

_"But… yet again…you are such a fool."_

"Wh…" _What is going on here?!_ Gabriel could not move, speak, only feel his own heart begin to slow down._ Am I going to die?!_

_How dare he-No… no! He stabbed me, damn it! And-I… I can't die… this wasn't how it was supposed end! I was-_

_No, no…This here… These are our memories. All of which have been contained inside me. Yes, me down here. The dangerous sword. __I am you, I am not a separate being._ Think of me as… a date book. You are just experiencing your death, our death. Hold on here. You won't really die, I can assure you.

_Then… then, why does it feel like I am dying?! My heart is… It's… it's stopping! Please..._

_Please… _

_kill me… kill me!_

_And yet… here I am…Once again…_

_I suppose my genius never fails me after all._

* * *

Author's note: Thank you all for reading along with me. Also, yes. Evan IS a bronie. Why? I have no idea yet. And I don't watch the show, myself but I am sure it is a lot of fun. The sword lore is different, I know, but it is going to get interesting. Very interesting.


	5. Chapter 5

_Are you awake? _

_What?_

_It is over. And see, I told you that you would be alive. _

_I hate you, Fornicaras. _Gabriel slowly climbed off the floor, sword still in hand, his whole body aching. _ What are you anyway? _

_Oh me? I said before that I am you. We have the same voice and the same thoughts. I am a physical manifestation of your former self and why does this feel like these thoughts going through my head? _Gabriel staggered over to his bed and fell onto the covers. _Because these ARE my thoughts… but how? I don't know… the world is just too strange. And…I don't kn-_

"Wow…that was awesome! You just suddenly began screaming like some banshee or something!"

Gabriel cracked a green eye open to see his little brother staring at him with a wide smile on his face. "Oh… did I?"

"Yeah!" Connor cried, so having tomorrow's show and tell. "It sounded like a horror movie! I didn't know you could scream like that! And then, all of a sudden you clutched your chest like this!"

Connor of course, did this in an over dramatic fashion that only made Gabriel roll his eyes and want to die.

"Then," The little kid continued, "you staggered forwards like Frankenstein and fell to the floor. A few minutes later, you actually got up and came over here, completely oblivious to Mom and Dad who totally freaked out! It was so cool!"

_Right. Shut the hell up, Connor. Ugh… I am still in pain. Why, Fornicaras? _

_Hey, I am you. Ask yourself. _

_What do you mean you are me? All of these thoughts in MY head are making me confused. And I am just a storage box. Me, the sword. I know. I like saying that. It makes me smile. If I could-_

_But…then, how did you, me…remember?_

_I don't know. Stop and let your thoughts mesh together. You are thinking all of this, Szayel._

_Wait a minute, Szayel? What kind of name is-lemmie talk! I was saying that your memory began to return as seeing your sword, oh, beautiful me, must have set off some kind reaction that caused you to remember. And you are right, we are non-separable as we are the same person. It is a long story that-_

"Gabriel? You live? Or did Connor's show and tell, kill you?"

He opened his eyes to see Lyneth standing next to the bed, looking actually concerned like his parents who were looking at him at well.

"What is it?" Gabriel asked, only to remember."Oh… right. I fell over or what not. I-I am okay."

"You sure?" Evan knew that sword wasn't a good idea. "Whatever happened, it sounded painful. I kind of want to take-"

"Dad." Gabriel hated to argue with his father more, but, "I don't really want to go to a hospital right now… I'm so… tired."

"I know you are, howe-"

"Hey…Dad?"

"Yes? What is it, my argumentative one?"

"I don't want to be a pincushion."

"Well," A hand grabbed Gabriel by the arm and made him stand up. "Sorry about that. Your dad here, has better judgment. Lyneth, why don't you go call your friends' parents to come and get them?"

"Sure thing." She said, adding, "Mom, don't let Connor follow me."

"Will do." Karri said, grabbing her youngest by the arm so he wouldn't run after and tell everyone what just happened. Granted, she was sure many were wondering as the screaming was heard through the house. "And now, Evan, how is he?"

"I'm fine." Gabriel tried to insist, trying his best to stand, but the world was spinning. "I…I swear."

"Swear all you want on the way there, Gabriel." Karri muttered. "And you, sir. I know what you are thinking. No, you cannot use this for show and tell tomorrow." She knew the look on Connor's face. He was cooking up something horrible in that brain of his.

"Aw… Mom…"

"No. That's final, Connor. Now, let the two of us go start the car." Karri stood up and dragged her youngest son to the door leading into the hallway. "See you in five."

Evan nodded and turned his attention back to Gabriel who was still out of reality. "Hey, you there?"

"Yes?" Gabriel replied, "I'm… here? Why?"

"Why don't we go to the car now?"

"You won't make me get rid of the sword, will you?"

"Not right-"

"Just tell me yes or no, Dad." Gabriel demanded, ready to battle it out for one of the few things he held dear.

"…We'll see." Evan knew that there was no way he was going to get his son anywhere if he said he was going to toss the sword. "Okay? Let's go."

"You lie." Gabriel muttered as he was led slowly to the doorway of his room. "But, I am too tired to care."

* * *

Lyneth sat by the front door after her parents and Connor left for the hospital with Gabriel who seemed very disoriented. _I wonder what's wrong. Hopefully it isn't anything serious. Nah… I suppose it isn't. Or I would have gotten a call from Connor by now, telling me how cool it was that Gabriel was dying or something. Anyhow… _She glanced at her two remaining friends who were staring at her in shock and ginned a little."Pretty shocking, Aribella, Rachel?"

"Yeah…" Rachel tried her best to smile, but the horror movie screaming really scared her. "It kinda was. And if you tell Josh at school, I am so not like having out with you. Like ever again."

"Yeah, yeah…" Lyneth said, not wanting to talk to Josh anyway. "I get the point. Don't tell Josh."

"And," Aribella added, pulling out some shimmering lip gloss out of her designer purse. "What do you think happens to Pinky Pie?"

"I donno." Lyneth grabbed her own lip gloss out of her pocket and painted her lips with the pink tint. "I don't really like the show; I just want to kiss someone before I go to high school next year."

"Ooooh!" Aribella squealed, forgetting the recent shock. "Who would you wanna kiss?!"

"Yes!" Rachel joined in, feeling better already. "Who?! Because I can totally like set you up! I wanna be a Matchmaker, you know!"

Lyneth sat back in the chair she brought from the kitchen to watch for her friends' parents. "Well… Let-"

_Hello. Can anyone hear me? _

"What is it?" Rachel asked, seeing Lyneth suddenly pale.

"Uh… No…Noth-"

_Hey… Wait a sec… Lilynette? Is that you? Damn… I must be high or something because, I swear we are the same body._

"Um…Who… Who are you?" The young girl asked, not liking the voice in the back of her mind, even though it seemed to make her smile for some reason.

_It's me. Starrk. We got swapped, eh. And the local dialect-_

"St…stop talking." Lyneth muttered, knowing it were too late to hide from her friends who were sure to abandon her. "And uh, Girls, I'll just be a sec." She stood up and walked out of the hallway, Leaving rachel and Aribella behind.

_Just...Just go away._

_But hon, why would you want that?_

"Wh…why?" Lyneth whispered, locking the bathroom door and sliding to the floor. "Because, you… You aren't real and I don't hear anything you are saying. I want you to go away. I am just stressed or something or… or just plain crazy because, I am hearing something inside my head. Yes, that's it…my great-aunt was a little off her rocker, too and-

_Just stop denying it already. I didn't know that I would be a voice in YOUR head of all things, Lil, dear. _

"I am not…I am not listening!" Lyneth cried, placing her hands over her ears. "I am just very, very tired. I am going to-"

"Hey?" Aribella asked as she knocked on the bathroom door. "Like are you like okay in there?"

"Yeah. I just needed a bigger mirror for my eyeshadow." Lyneth replied, not caring if her reasoning made any sense at all. "I'll be out in a minute here. I just can't find my favorite shade and-"

_It's really cool, you know. I can see what you are thinking! It's cool. If I hadn't heard screaming, I don't think I would have woken up from my nap. Damn, it was loud, what ever the hell it-_

"Shut up." Lyneth snapped, reaching for the bathroom door handle. "And if you ever-"

_I would be careful if I were you._

"Why the hell should I-"

_Because, if you do not wish to be alone, I would crawl out the window. If you head out there now, with me awake in here, your friends will die. _

Lyneth froze.

_You heard me. We are the Primera Espada. We have been alone all our lives as those we come in contact with, die. It is the sad truth, m'dear. Even behind this door, we are slowly killing your friends. I am so- _The kind voice stopped as he heard someone or something crash to the floor outside the bathroom. _I am sure they are still alive, but you cannot stay here any longer. We need to leave._

"N…No! I am not going to-" Lyneth wanted to open the door and find herself safe in a sleeping bag, but she knew that would never happen.

_Your friends are mere humans. They-I do not have time to explain. We need to leave and I need to check something out upstairs. I sense another one of us._

_What do you-Oh… can you hear me?_

_Yes? Of course, my little gal._

_EW! You pervert!_

_I am not hitting on you, geez. Now, open the door and run upstairs and go to the room all the way down at the end of the hallway._

Lyneth was not sure if she were going nuts or what the hell was going on, but she did not want any of her friends to die. She opened the bathroom door and leapt over her two friends who were on the hallway floor, nearly unconscious.

_Are they going to be okay?!_

_Yes, if we hurry._

Lyneth dashed through the house to the stairs leading to the second floor and raced up the her older brother's room where she found a white sword laying on the floor. "And what do you wan-"

_Get me some paper! _

Lyneth wasn't going to argue. She raced over to her brother's desk that was covered with many notebooks and she opened one of them to a clean page. "Now wha-"Her hands went numb and Starrk grabbed a pencil. "What are you-"

He hated to do this to her, but she wouldn't understand what was going on. _No time to talk. Just read. _

Lyneth watched in awe as her hands began to write a message on the blank piece of paper in curly writing which was her own.

_Dear Mom and Dad, _

_I am sorry for leaving. I know you will soon come to understand, but please know that I love you. Please take care of my friends and forgiving me. _

_I am not sure what has happened, but I love you so very much and Connor, please, what ever you do: do not irritate Gabriel. Mom, be kind and I know things shall no longer make sense to you. I am sorry. Also, guard you makeup collection. Dad, please do not irritate Gabriel as well. Or, force him to watch that TV show you like. (the sword has to stay.) Gabriel, be nice and know that I am watching. Also, step out of line I will be upset with you and will not have second thoughts._

_I love you all so very much and where I am going, I cannot tell you. I am sorry. And please, do not come looking for me as it shall only make me lonely._

_Love, forever, _

_Lyneth_

_The Primera_

_P.s. Rachel. Aribella, I am sorry. You were the best friends anyone could ever have. Besides me of course. (Starrkie!) And I wanna kiss Jean! He's so frickin' hawt! Love ya!_

_P.s.s. Shit, I forgot something. Gabriel, look after them. That is an order._

* * *

_Author's note: I want to thank __Tsarina Torment _for all of her help on this chapter and the whole story in general. We have been PMing a whole bunch and she has really helped me with the plot and the characters. (In short, she's wonderful! Go read and review one of her stories!) I am also so glad that I have someone to bounce ideas with back and forth. I really appreciate it Tsarina. So, my readers, this story would not be possible without Tsarina. Thank you so much, my friend!

And I forgot to mention that I borrowed the name Gabriel from Pray by the _Unbelievable_. I kept forgetting to mention it! Sorry about that! Thanks, _Unbelievable_ for the name! If you don't know what story I am talking about, you should go read it. About… now!

Also. thank you everyone for your nice reviews and I just love to watch all of you guess.


	6. Chapter 6

"Are you serious?" The young man stared down at the horrible robber who was wearing all black and a home-made ski mask that looked like it was actually an old snow cap stretched over his face. In his hands were a whole load of stupid crap such as a DVD player, a clock and to top it all of, this guy was trying to get away with a desk top computer monitor. "What the hell are you doing? Don't you know that is just the screen part? It isn't the thing that makes the computer run, dumbass. And it is three in the morning, on a Saturday. Oh, I see you have a calendar as well, why don't you find today's date, shall we? It's a Saturday, dipshit! I wanna fuckin' sleep in, okay?"

The robber looked up at the young man's glaring green eyes and long black hair that hanging down past his shoulders. "Uh…sorry? I didn't know. About the computer that is."

Teresa looked up at the ceiling and wanted to curse the world. He had been sleeping soundly until he heard a damn racket downstairs and came to see what the hell it was.

"Really, man. You have to know how to rob a place before you actually do it!" He yelled at the shorter man who by his guesses was about a meter and half. Where as himself was about 1.8 meters and was ready to pound this robber's head in because he was annoyed with life.

"And second," Teresa continued, "that is a lame mask…I just can't help but laugh at how pathetic you are. My parents may be rich and have a big ass mansion, but come on! You suck at this!"

Coeur reached a hand off and removed the mask to reveal his whole face which was rather beat up and miserable looking. "Please… I have a debt I have to pay back or I'm going to die. I just kno-"

"Whatever." Teresa shot back, just wanting to try out some of his newest karate moves on this sad piece of shit. "I am not going to help."

"But…" Coeur felt tears begin to well in the corners of his deep green eyes. "I…I'll do anything. My sister is ill and-"

"Yeah… yeah… Heard that story. Move on, asshole."

"No, I mean, really ill! She… She has chronic bronchitis an-

"So what if she can't play the piano or what ever else they show on their ads…" Teresa yawned and leaned on the wall across from the window where he had found the not so brilliant robber trying to sneak off "Go home or I won't have to call the police. Or stay here and I'll beat your ass and call the cops because I can."

"Uh…Please… Don't beat me up!" Coeur cried, finally just flat-out crying. "I'm already beat up enough… Have mercy."

"Whatever." Teresa wasn't going to give any slack to an ass who dared to wake him up when he was actually sleeping peacefully for once. "I don't care."

With this, he nailed the robber in the face with his fist.

Teresa grinned.

Maybe his day wasn't so bad after all.

After nailing the smaller man in the face a third time, Teresa was too tired to hit him again. It had been such a long boring day at school and then life at home… it all really stacked up into a mess of nothing.

"And now?" He demanded of the stunned thief. "What shall it be? I go back to bed, let you rob this place and take things I don't really want. Or call the police to come get you?"

"The police?" Coeur was kinda glad he got punched in the face three times in a row. It really got his brain thinking. And think it did. "I wanna talk with them…"

"Okay that sou-why? What? Wait!" Teresa wasn't ready for this curve! "You want me to call the-damn, man… that's fucked up. Anyhow, I'll call them…stay here and don't eat anything. I like the food."

"Thanks?" Coeur called after the young man as he walked out of the beautiful Victorian study. "I guess?"

While whatever his name was out of the room, Coeur sat down on the priceless white and gold sofa that matched the cream wall paper in the room. He really was in a mess this time…

"Oye!"

Coeur nearly jumped ten feet in the air.

Once he got a hold of his nerves and realized it wasn't Vicente, he glanced behind him to see the young man holding a phone out to him.

"Dipshit Robber! It's the cops. Talk to them and tell them to come pick you up. They don't believe you're still here!"

Coeur smiled faintly and hesitantly put the phone up to his ear, only to say, "Um…thanks? What's your name?"

"Teresa."

Coeur burst out laughing, only to freeze as the young man glared at him. Fist ready to nail his already broken nose.

."Um… yeah, sorry, kid?" Coeur tried and Teresa backed down. "And um….hi, Mr. Cop. I shall co-operate with you all, I really suck at robbing and um… come pick me up and save me. You see, it all happened like this…"

Teresa sat down on the floor and yawned. This robber really sucked at his job and telling the cops what happened and ended up somehow telling them his 'sad' life story.

_I can so beat that… _Teresa scoffed, _By a long shot. Try having parents who think you are invisible and you think Chronic Bronchitis is bad. Try what I have, dipshit._

* * *

Just as he were actually starting to doze off, Teresa was awoken by the sound of the front doorbell. "Aw…" He cracked an eye open and began to almost crawl to the door. Once he were on his feet, he opened it to see two Police Officers standing on the steps. "What do you want?"

The officer looked at the annoyed young man who was wearing white pajamas and looked very sleepy. "Um… we are here to pick up that robber, your sister Teresa sa-"

"Hold it right there." The young man said, holding up a hand. "I am Teresa and why? Because my mom thought she was having a girl and so ordered everything with that name on it and I got stuck with it. Is that clear?"

The two officers nodded.

"Now can you show us in, son?" The man asked as nicely as he could, knowing that no one liked to be up this late. Especially with a robber in the house. (Unless this was some kinda stupid prank).

Teresa nodded and lead them through the mansion to the study where Coeur greeted them with a smile. "Hi! I'm the robber. I… kinda failed and…And here!" He held out his hands to welcome handcuffs which were slapped on them seconds later.

"Why isn't this funny?" Teresa muttered, watching the robber be marched out of the study by the officers who were still taking no chances. "Have a nice day…whatever time it is… and you two, please get my back my stuff."

"Will do." The man said and opened the front door and lead Coeur out to the awaiting car. "Have a nice night, too. Thanks for calling."

Teresa rolled his eyes and slammed the front door shut, wishing people would just leave him alone.

* * *

Author's note: Sorry about all the cussing. But we have another, ladies and gentlemen! Thank you so much for reading and we almost have all our players!


	7. Chapter 7

Coeur sat down on the cold metal bench and crossed his arms. The two police officers had taken him down to the station and after recording his fingerprints, left him in the holding cell. Sadly, inside were a few drunks and a blonde-haired young man in blue flower-patterned denim who was carving something into the wall.

"Hey, kid." Coeur muttered, noting that the inscription which hardly read anything profane. "What are you doing? Don't you know this is government property?"

"Yeah, like I care." The young man replied, reaching a hand up to ruffle his short blonde hair back into place. "These people conspire to destroy the environment, they have to go down!"

Coeur paused.

That was a strange cause.

"Anyhow," the Failed Thief inquired, "what are you in here for?"

"Well, " The young man put away his tool which was a warn pencil and sat down next to a sleeping drunk on the bench across from Coeur. "I was down by the docks protesting the XL Pipeline and they bagged me. Sure, I might of punched one of the officers in the face, but heck, he deserved it."

"Don't know you know you are not supposed to hit law enforcement?" Couer asked, hoping this Hippy was smarter than he looked.

"Yeah... I know it was wrong. Anyhow, what are you in here for?" The Hippy asked, pulling a wilted yellow flower out of his pocket and held it out to the other man.

Couer looked at the flower and at the blonde. "Um… I don't really… I'll take the flower… um, I was caught robbing a place."

"Oh… My parents wouldn't really like me talking to you, so, I'll take the flower back. Thanks." With that, the young man grabbed the flower right of Coeur's hands, leaving the two in silence again.

* * *

"What? Didn't like your sentence" The Hippy asked the evil thief had been staring at him with intense green eyes since he returned to the cell after the officer took him for a talk. "I don't have money with me for you to steal."

"I… I don't care…" Coeur sighed, trying to figure out a way out of this mess. He now had a five hundred dollar fine and he didn't have five hundred anywhere. Not even behind his ear. "I just have rotten luck."

"Yeah." The other young man said with a loud laugh. "Karma came back around and bit you in the butt."

"Whatever. I don't believe in that jumbo."

"Then, what DO you believe?"

"Why should it matter?" Coeur asked, not wanting to debate the meaning of life in a jail cell with a strange hippy.

"It doesn't. And," The young man held out his hand, "I am Pagan. Nice to meet you."

"Uh…" Coeur nodded slowly, taking the hippy's hand and giving it a sight shake. "And…your religion is relevant, because?"

"No, no!" The blonde laughed, shaking his head. "I get it all the time. Anyhow, my _name _is Pagan. I actually am more Buddhist, but my mom follows the Greek Pantheon and my dad is a Wiccan. It's rather cool."

"That's... Kind of neat, actually. I am Coeur, by the way."

"Nice to meet you to." Pagan grinned, giving the thief's hand a near bone crushing shake. "My mom would kill me if I talked to you, but since you left a while back, I have been contemplating the matter and I have come to the conclusion that deep down, we are all good. So, what brings you in here?"

"I…told you and you rejected me." Coeur confessed, not quite what to think about Pagan who was just a little too odd for his own good. "I…I needed money to pay for my sister's medicine and I had to borrow from a few loan sharks and now they wanted their money back… and my nose got broken a third time this week. By that little, well, not little, tall punk."

"Don't worry." Pagan told him, "Karma will come and-"

"I know what your Karma will do!" Coeur cried, making the other young man jump. "It will eat off your head! And…sorry. I'm just in a pinch. I don't have enough money to pay off my jail fines and my poor sister is at home and she's almost out of medicine. Which makes me concerned as she could suffocate to death because she doesn't have it and… why the hell am I telling you my life story?'

"Because? I'm a nice guy?" Pagan suggested, flashing another sweet grin. One that Coeur was sure was a little more evil than most would suspect. "And people do that to me all the time. It's a thing that comes with being Enlightened. People seriously just walk up to you and tell you their life story. It's kinda a pain."

"I'll say…." Coeur agreed, trying not to laugh at the 'enlightened' comment. "But really? Their life story?"

"Don't laugh. I am serious here." Pagan said, his voice suddenly becoming lower. "People walk up to me and do that. It's a real pain because half of the people I meet have sob stories and I can't…Oh.. Sorry…" His voice trailed off as he watched Coeur's eyes begin to tear up. "I didn't mean it."

"No, no…" The thief brushed off the comment along with the tears in his eyes. "I… I just feel ashamed. I cannot take take care of the ones I love and it just pisses me off some-'

"Excuse me!" Pagan cut in, "you mean, ticks you off."

Coeur looked up, suddenly confused. "What?"

"Don't use such language! That'll bite your butt too."

"Ah…" Coeur nodded slowly, "Yes… I see. I suppose, actually. Anyhow, you said something about being Buddhist. So, why are you in jail for hitting a police officer?"

Pagan paused.

"Oh…" He began, adding it all up in his head. "Oops."

"Opps, my as-foot!" Coeur laughed, wanting to point out that this non-cussing thing was harder than it seemed. "And about not cussing, are you home-schooled or something?"

"Nah." Pagan sat on the metal bench next to the his newest friend who looked quite young up close. "I go to public School like everyone else. No one talks to me though... And, if you don't mind my asking, how old are you? You look…"

"Seventeen." Coeur replied with a frown. "I know. I shouldn't have gotten mixed up with loan sharks. It is just that my parents had a disagreement with my sister and they aren't talking. She's about twenty-five and you know what?"

"What?"

"She's going to have a kid. That's what made my parents upset. She didn't even talk to them about it and I am just caught in the middle."

"Oh." Pagan couldn't help but feel a little bad for Coeur, but knew he'd figure a way out of his troubles. "I see. So, where is your sister's husband?"

"Her boyfriend? He's around. But he doesn't make much money and they need it for rent and I thought I would be nice and get her some money and I got in this mess. I live at home with my parents….Shit. Speaking of which-"

"Don't swear."

Coeur rolled his eyes and let out a long sigh. "Fine… I will. I will refrain from swearing. My parents are going to murder me."

"Well, that wouldn't be very ni-"

"I don't actually mean they will, Pagan!"

'Oh… yeah…" The other Young Man muttered, wanting to laugh at himself, but it were not the best time to do that. "And I forgot to mention that I'm sixteen, so we're a year apart. Interesting, no?"

Coeur glanced at Pagan who was fixing his spiky blonde hand and grinning like a cat. "Um…Okay? And that means, what?"

"Means, I wanna be friends with you."

"What?!"

"You heard what-'

"I did." Coeur cut Pagan off. "And why do you want to be friends with me? Less than half an hour ago, you took your flower back and refused to talk to me. I don't get you."

"Well…" Pagan wasn't sure how explain himself, so he settled with a simple answer. "My parents have always told me to be kind and help those in need. And I have enjoyed talking to you. So, I'm going to go call my folks, be right back." The Hippy stood up and walked over to the thick clear window of the cell and knocked loudly. "Hey! Officer! Can I call someone?!"

A few seconds later, the officer came over and escorted the young man to the phone, leaving Coeur on his own in a jail cell full of drunks.

"Just great…" He shoved one off the bench and and stretched out for a nap.

* * *

_"Hey…Coeur?"_

The thief cracked his eye open to see Pagan, staring down at him with a happy grin on his face. "…What?"

"I got you out."

Coeur's eyes shot wide open. "What?! You got me out?!"

How could this wonderful young man do something so nice for him?!

"Yep!" Pagan reached a hand out and helped his friend off the cold bench and onto his feet "And you get to come home with me as my parents want to meet you. As I am assuming the loan sharks are still looking for you?"

Coeur paused, his eyes suddenly noticing that Pagan had brilliant blue eyes. "Um… I guess? I don't know… I mean, my sister might need me to be there for her…"

"But it would be dangerous for you to head home. And didn't you say that her boyfriend is there sometimes?"

"Yes?" Coeur said.

"Well, isn't he there tonight?" Pagan asked. "The Loan sharks are after you?"

"Yes?"

"So you should come stay with me as they won't know where you are and you'll be safe!"

"You have a point." Coeur admitted, knowing that Azura and Vicente didn't know where his sister lived or who she was, he just borrowed money from them. So she would be safe and wouldn't she want him to be safe as well? "I'll come with you. Thank you ever so much, Pagan."

"You're welcome."

"Now, come on, kids. I haven't got all night." The Police officer took the two young men by arm and escorted them out of the cell and into the exit office. "Let's get you outta here. You two can talk all you want on the way home." So the officer booked the two out of the station, with a notice to tell Couer's sister he were fine if she showed up to ask about his whereabouts and after Pagan called his father to pick them up, the two were standing outside the station.

"And so where do you live exactly?" Coeur asked Pagan who was sitting next to him on the steps of the Police Station.

"Somewhere far away." Pagan replied, knowing it were best not to tell him as someone might be listening. "And don't tell me about anything until we get there. They could be listening."

"True." Coeur grinned slightly, kind of loving how smart his new friend was. "So... How are you going to get forgiveness for punching a police officer?"  
"What do you mean?'

"I mean, from your parents, your god?"

Pagan sighed and glanced up at the stars in the night sky. "Well... My parents love me and so does my Gods. As I say that, Buddhists believe in self improvement and I guess you are right, Coeur... I should try something else. Maybe the Norse Gods? They are always so adventurous."

"Switch?!" Coeur cried, not sure what was wrong with his friend. "You can't just-"  
"That's what they want you to believe." Pagan said, realizing it would take a few long talks to share his views on the world. Not nessicary trying to convert, no, he would never do that as it was not right to force your own belifs on someone else. "All paths lead to englightment, or God's love. We as humans just have find the one that works for us. So, I just haven't found it yet. And maybe you have. Religion is a very personal thing."

"You got that right." Coeur agreed, "and I hope you don't mind that I didn't tell you my own."

"No. Not at all. I am here on Earth to educate that we are all the same." Pagan said, standing up as a blue pickup truck came driving up to them. "Hey, it's my dad. Name's Willson. Let's go."

Coeur nodded and climbed off the steps of the police station to follow his friend.

* * *

"And," Pagan announced twenty minutes later from the backseat of the pickup where he was watching the country go by, "Here we are. My house."

Coeur stared out the passanger window at the well lit house to his right, not sure what to say.

Up the drive were a few Greek Statues and there was a nice flower garden by the front door which had a sign on it that said: _Blessed Be _with a strange triple-moon symbol. The house itself was rather plain, but had character none the less as there were large crystals of various kinds on the flat roof top.

"Very nice?" Coeur tried, hoping that he wasn't going to intruding on what ever Magick went on in this house.

"Thanks." Pagan got out of the car and came around to get the door for his friend. "And, now I will show you the couch you will be staying on for the next night. I am sorry that you got in that mess with…"

"Vicente and Azura." Coeur reminded the young man, having told him the details of the story during the drive into the country. "And…I don't suppose you can…work some Magick to keep the two away?"

"Maybe. Maybe not." Pagan opened the front door and lead the way into a comfy sitting room where his mother, Alice was reading a book. "It might not work because you broke into somewhere. The divine has a weird way of working. Anyhow, Coeur, meet my mom."

The Thief glanced over to see a woman with long blonde hair and reading glasses standing up to greet him."Um… hi? I… I am sorry for-"

"Don't feel sorry." Alice took the young man under her wing and lead him over to the brown couch were blankets were already set out. "It's nothing. Now, I have some food all ready, so let us go eat."

* * *

Author's Note: And we have all the Espada! Yay! And a few things! Wiccans work Magick instead of Magic which is used to differentiate Magic tricks with the real thing. Not that Wiccans pull rabbits out of hats and all. The ancient religion is practiced to connect with nature and learn about yourself. It is very intricate and interesting. I suggest you read books written by Lucy Lucy Cavendish or Sliver Raven Wolf to get the inside scoop on The Craft.


	8. Chapter 8

Lyneth's eyes widened and she tossed him away and into the snow where he belonged. "Ahh! What the hell?! What the…I hate you! Why did he show _that_ to me? Starrk!

_Ugh… I donno… He's such a-_

_Shut up, Starrk! It's all your fault! You brought me out here to Nowhere-Snowland and I had to find this sword in the boxcar I jumped! And YOU of all people told me to take him along!_

_Well… I didn't say you had to take him with us._

"Oh… god… I am NEVER sleeping again, am I?" Lyneth screamed, just wanting to find a place to sleep in the middle of the woods where no one would find her.

And no one would die.

After she left her house earlier that night, she knew she could not live somewhere populated so, Starrk suggested they head north and she did. The two jumped a train car and she had been sitting in the dark when her left hand touched something cold.

_Hey! What the fuck?! Get your-_

"Ahh!" Lyenth removed her hand and glanced franticly around in the dark. "Who's there?! I am ready to pound your face in! I am a very cute girl and-"

_Calm down. _Starrk said in his usual drawling tone._ It's just another you. I mean, me. You and I are more one than two and I know I am not making any sense. But I am a person and you, Lyneth are a sword and we are now one and-_

_I don't care! What the hell was that, Starrk?! I am very alone and I am very cute!_

_Lyenth… it wasn't a person._

She paused. "What?"

_It wasn't a person, Lily. Reach a hand out and see what it says. _

_What is it, then?_

_It has to be a sword. Like… the one your brother has._

_And that talks? You're telling me there are talking swords?!_

_Yes. And… just reach over there, already!_

_Fine. I get hurt and you pay! _

_Deal._

Lyenth sighed and reached her left into to the darkness where it came to rest on a cold piece of metal once again. "Hi? Are you-"

_Of course I talk, bitch! _

"Hey!" The teenager screamed, "Don't talk to me like that!"

_Why the hell shouldn't I?_

_Tell him you're the Primera!_

Lyneth nodded, knowing that Starrk knew what he was doing. (Or so she hoped)."Um… Sword? Person? Thing? My friend tells me to tell you, I'm the Primera."

The piece of metal was silent for a moment, as if thinking.

"Well?" Lyenth wondered, hoping she didn't sound insane talking to something that she knew was hardly human. But thankfully, she might have been all alone in the train car. "What do you have to say?"

_Shit. _The same annoyed voice complained loudly. _It's Starrkie and his damn alarm clockie._

"You know Starrk?!" Lyneth gasped. "But he's…"

_Yes, I am in her head. Can you hear me?_

_Like hell I can. Now, stop talking._

_Why?_

_Because I say so, asshole!_

_Shut up, Santa Teresa, I will not have you talking to Lilynette in that crude manner._

_I can tal-_

"Guys!" Lyneth screamed, her head feeling like it might explode from the chatter. "Hold up!"

The two fell silent.

"Um…" She began, wrapping herself deeper in her winter coat the best she could, the temperature outside becoming colder as the train headed north in the dead of night. "You… You have a name? Rude one?"

_Well… you could have called me worse. But yeah, bitch. I have a name. It's Santa Teresa. _

"And? Um… what are you?"

_I'm a sword. Used by the one and only Nnoitra Gilga. We had awesome battles. Kicked a shit load of ass._

"Yeah." Lyenth rolled eyes, "Great. But can you die? Can… Can I kill you? I… I feel horrible. I ran away from home and… I just feel so lost.

_Oye, kid. Don't feel bad. _

"Wh…Why, Santa?"

_It's not Santa! It's Santa Teresa! Teresa! Teresa!_

"Okay! Sorry!" Lyneth yelled, tears rolling down her face and dripping on to the wooden floor of the boxcar. "Teresa! I… I kill people! They stand next to me and they die! I… Killed the ticket man! That's why I had to jump a train! I can't…I can't stand it! I don't want to be alone for the rest of my life! And my mom will kill me! I ran away from home and I… I want to go back! But I can't! I don't… I don't want them to die."

Santa Teresa sighed. He couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Lilynette. _Well… Don't feel bad. You have Starrk._

"What do you mean?!" The girl cried, not wanting to listen to the voices in her head anymore.

_You have me for now, too. Not that I belong to a bitch like you, but I can talk for a while. I have to find Nnoitra or Szayel or Telsa. _

_Uh….Well…_

_What the hell is it, Starrkie?_

_Well… _

"What?" Lyenth cut in, hoping that she was in a mental ward being taken care of by a bunch of nice people in white coats."What do you keep not saying, Starrk?!"

_Well…You're… on the wrong train, Santa Teresa. _

_What do you mean?!_

_Well… Szayel…_Starrk used Lyenth's hands to point in the direction they came. _Was that way. _

_What?! No fuckin' way! _

_Who's Szayel?! Would someone please fill me in?! I hope you two can hear me think!_

_Yes, way._

_No, Teresa!_

_Yes._

_No, damn it! Given what you an-_

_Who is Szayel?!_

The two fell silent.

"What?" Lyenth frowned, glancing out the side of the train car where she watch the blurs of snow-covered trees pass by. "Why won't you two tell me who Szayel is?"

_Hey… should I tell her?_

_Nah… Let me. I'll tell her in a gentle tone. Besides, I don't think she needs to know all you know._

_Right… but it will be so fun to-_

_No! You don't get to tell her all that, Santa Teresa! _

_But Starrk… It's all true!_

Starrk gasped. Rumors got around, but…_All of it?! I am shocked to even-_

_Yeah. Up yours. Anyhow, bitch, Szayel is the Eighth Espada. One of who I-_

_Don't say it, Teresa! Szayel, is actually your brother, Gabriel._

"What?!" Lyenth could not believe what she was hearing. "What do you mean?! Gabriel? He's just my brother! Not some crazy person like-"

_Hahaha…You think you're crazy? Szayel is actually insane!_

"What do you mean?!"

_Just what I said. Nothin' more._

"Ahh! Santa Teresa! Explain yourself already! And What is an Espada?!" Lyneth hated being so lost. "I can't take it anymore, Starrk! Make him talk!"

_I wish I could. But I suppose it IS better if I explain Szayel and the Espada. Once upon a time when someone dies, their soul can become lonely. _

"Like… Like us?" Lyenth asked, watching the first rays of the sun appear on the horizon out of the side of the train car. "Right, Starrk?"

_Yes. Like us. And they lose their hearts and become hollows. And those hollows-_

_Eat one another in a giant game of survival of the fittest and-_

_You don't need to put it that way, Teresa… you are scaring her. Let me handle this. _

_And you're saying I don't have a tender heart, aren't you?!_

_Yes. I am._

_You're such a-_

_Teresa. Quite. Now, Lily, we're okay. So yes, Lily, you and I are hollows._

"Holl…hollows?" Lyneth cried, wanting to go home where a warm bed waited for her and Connor was there to bug her to tell Gabriel to stop reading. "What you do you mean I have no heart? If… If I didn't have a heart then…Why am I crying?"

_A heart doesn't mean you don't have emotions. I am sorry, dear. It know it hurts… Just take a deep breath and know that I am here for you. And so is Teresa…As long as he isn't too vulgar. _

_Hey. It's just me. Live with it, di-_

_Anyhow. Settle in… I cannot give you warmth or a hug, but I can explain things the best I can once we get off at the next stop._

Two hours later, the train came to a stop to refill on something and Lyneth climbed off. She grabbed her bag of clothes and pulled Santa Teresa out of the darkness to reveal a tall and crescent moon blade which she marveled at until he began to scream at her to get moving.

_Yes, yes… I'm going…I don't want to be the flattened bitch on the train tracks. I get it. _Lyneth muttered, walking way from the train tracks and into the dense forest ahead of her. _And you seem to think you know where you are going, don't you, Teresa?_

_No, Bitch. I just like to think I do. _

_The Great Santa Teresa has struck again._

_Shut up, sleepy!_

_Calm down, Grumpy._

_Hey! You two! Just… tell me where I'm going? _Lyneth asked, stopping in the middle of the woods, ten minutes later, completely lost. _Because…I am really, really cold…_

_You're cold?! I'm cold! I'm made of metal, you-_

_Calm down already! She has a normal body. Okay, Lily, keep walking for five more minutes and if you don't find a place to sleep, you can use Teresa to cut down some trees and-._

_Hey! You are not going to-_

_She'll take you to Nnoitra. Or Szayel._

_Oh…right. You're right, Starrk-sama._

_Sama?_

_Yes, that is an honor title in Japanese, Lily._

_Japanese?_ Lyneth had no idea what in the world was going on here so she just continued through the snow. Just listening to the two voices and trying her best to keep up with the conversation.

_Yeah, bitch. Japanese. Anyhow, take me to Szayel and you can cut down as many trees as you want._

_Oh… okay? And what's so special about my brother, Gabriel?_

_Well… _

_Don't say it, Teresa!_

_They kinda knew one another. Nnoitra and him._

_And that'a a great story and all that Lily needs to-_

_They were kinda fucking each other! _

Starrk wished he had a wall to- Lyneth slammed into a tree, sending her backwards into the snow. "Wh..What?!"

_Ow… my head…_

"_What did you say. Santa Teresa?!" _The teenage girl screeched to the light morning sky overhead, scaring all of the birds out of the trees. _"Did you say what I thought you said?! You vulgar little-Why aren't you saying anything?!_"

_Well, you aren't holding him anymore, Lily._

Lyneth sat up and blinked the snow out of her eyes as it fell from sky. "Yeah…yeah…" She reached a hand out and grabbed the crescent sword out of the snow where she dropped it. "Now, explain! My brother would never go out with anyone as vulgar as you! Let alone…ugh…. I did _not_ need to hear that!"

_You are in so much trouble, Teresa…_

_Whatever, Starrk! It's true! See this!_

Lyneth's eyes widened and she tossed Santa Teresa away from her into the snow. "Ahh! What the hell?! What the…I hate you! Why did he show _that _to me?! Starrk!

_Ugh… I donno… He's such a-_

_Shut up, Starrk! It's all your fault! You brought me out here to Nowhere-Snowland and I had to find this sword in the boxcar I jumped! And YOU of all people told me to take him along!_

_Well… I didn't say you had to take him with us._

"Oh… god… I am NEVER sleeping again, am I?" Lyneth screamed, just wanting to find a place to sleep in the middle of the woods where no one would find her. "My eyes, damn it! Teresa!"

If the sword could see what the girl was doing, he would have seen her stomping around in the snow, hands over her eyes.

"Holy… damn you! You're…arg! Bad Teresa!" Lyneth wished she had a rock she could bash the sword's head I, but she didn't have a rock and he didn't have a head.. "I…You! You are staying OUTSIDE tonight! I did…ARG! I did not need to see that! You are such a low-down-"She grabbed Santa Teresa and slammed the blade into the nearest tree. "Evil…" Lyenth watched a large tree trunk headed right for her, the blade having just…"Cut through the whole…"

_Move!_

Lyenth stepped to the left and the world melted away.

* * *

Author's note: Hello, I am glad that you enjoyed this chapter. Santa Teresa has such a vulgar vocabulary which is such a pain to write as I don't normally cuss. :) The awesome line about Nnoitra and Szayel's relationship a came from Tsari Torment as we were bouncing ideas back and forth and she just threw out that line. It was so horrible and made me laugh so hard, I had to put it in. Thanks Tsari!

She has an amazing Reincarnation one-shot story that I order you all to go read: _s/10304179/1/Demons-in-My-Dreams._ As it is wonderful, amazing and **perfect.**

I also wanted to mention my Roleplay Forum, A Roleplay of Apathy and Other Sins. The link to it is on my profile page.

It is a fun little group and we have a Bleach Roleplay, if any of you readers wish to join the fun. Thanks.

Also, thank you all so much for reading this story. I am looking at the stats and I realised that my last chapter got 55 views in no-time. I never had a story move that fast.


	9. Chapter 9

"Are you all tucked in?" Pagan asked as he walked into the living room after dinner to make sure the guest was actually getting for bed like the rest of the house.' have enough blankets?

Coeur looked up from where he was laying down the blankets on the couch, "Yes, I am." He paused, not sure how to phrase this, but said what was on his mind anyhow. "Thank you so much, Pagan. I… I think you might have actually saved my life, now that I think about it."

"That violent, are they?" Pagan came over and placed a pillow from his mother's sitting chair at the head of the couch.

"Yes." Coeur said, his right hand rubbing his nose which was surely not healing properly. "Azura is violent. She loves knives a bit too much, as…" He reached over and rolled up his right sleeve to reveal a long downward scar on the inside of his arm. "She did that me. She wanted to get it through to me what she would do to me next month if I didn't pay back. So yes, Pagan, I really wish not to say this, but you did save my life. I know she would have done something horrible to me if she caught me. Especially since… Since I told the police their names."

"Esh." Pagan muttered, glad he listened to his inner-voice that told him to talk to this young man in the jail cell with him. "Well, I am glad and I won't hold it against you. Let's just call it even, shall we?"

"Wha..what do you mean?" Coeur couldn't remember him doing anything nice for Pagan. at all. And even if it were something nice, it didn't top the 500 dollar fine. and in honest, he only really laughed and swore at the other man until a few hours ago. "I haven't one anything-"

"I don't like debt." Pagan confessed, sitting down in the sitting chair by the couch. "And you don't have to do anything for me. I will put it in my heavenly bank account to save for later."

"Um… What?" Coeur wasn't sure if he just heard what he thought he did. "I thought… you didn't believe in heaven."

"Well, not angels, feathers and music, no. But… I believe there IS a good place waiting for those who do good."

"And what about those who…Oh…" Coeur should have figured it out by now. "Karma, right?"

Pagan grinned widely. Thief here was catching on! "Yep!"

"Okay… so? What happens to them in hell?I mean, if people who do good have heaven then I amusing there is a hell for bad people."

"Nothing. There is no hell." Pagan stated. "Life is what you make of it. So, those who did wrong might be sent back to earth or another planet to learn how to be a better person."

"So, Pagan, you are saying Reincarnation is what happens to people who don't do good?"

"No, I'm not dictating what happens to anyone else but myself, Coeur." The young man corrected. "It's just my personal belief that you don't have to share with me. Everyone is different and you know, people who have near-death experiences never experience the same thing? They experience what they believe, so it IS a person by person thing. So, why don't you go to bed and we can talk more in the morning as I am very tired and we all know the meaning of life is 42."

"True." Coeur stated, trying his best to keep a smile from crossing his face. "So, good night, Pagan. I shall see you in the morning."

Pagan nodded and climbed out of the chair. "Same here. See you later." With that, he left Coeur to make his bed and climb under the warm covers to fall instantly to sleep.

* * *

Lyneth tripped over her feet and fell face first into the snow. She were about to scream how cold she was when she realized she wasn't cold at all. _What?_

_I am sorry, Lily. I had to do it. _Starrk said in a mournful tone._The tree would have flattened you other wise. And don't get too comfy, the cold is still…cold._

"What did you do? I don't get it…" Lyneth muttered, her face starting to feel the cold now, but the chilling feeling seemed to be seeping through some kind of… protective layer. "And yeah… cold… ow… Is my face okay?"

_Yeah. It is. _Santa Teresa announced, not liking being in the cold himself. _I hate the cold…._

_Oh, my… Teresa is shocked. He isn't swearing._

_What? What did you say, Starrk?! I am going to fu-_

_Please, don't make your bad habit of swearing rub off on Lily. Now, stand up, dear. We have to tell you something._

"And…" Lyneth obeyed and slowly climbed to her knees, not sure why her stomach of all things felt strange. She crashed head first into a tree, but it shouldn't affect that part of her body. But, maybe it was because her nerves were off the charts due to being almost crushed by a twenty-foot tree or maybe…

"Starrk?" She began, her hand creeping over her stomach as she stood. "Why…why do I feel… of all things, a… a breeze?"

_Well… that is… a thing I wish I didn't have to-_

_Hahahahaaaaaa! No fucking way! I don't believe it! Holy shit!_

_What the heck are you-oh… dear… _

"What do you…" Lyneth's voice trailed off as she stared in horror in her reflection in Santa Teresa's blade. Her long hair was still light and wavy but her eyes were blue-sliver now and her hair was:

"_Pink?!" _She screamed so loud it made Starrk flinch and Santa Teresa shut up. _"What the… _Lyneth grabbed a handful of hair and brought it up to her eye, checking the roots in panic. _"What the hell?! Why is my hair, pink?! It was blonde!" _

_Calm down, Lily… it's oka-_

_"I don't care if it is okay! I want to know WHY my hair is freakin' bright pretty pink!"_

_Santa Teresa, you are getting a talking to. _

_Whatever, Starrk-o._

"_And why is my hair pink?!" _Lyneth did not want to listen to Starrk scold the other sword right now. Right now, she wanted to know what in the world was going on! _"You two, explain! NOW!"_

The two swords fell silent.

_Um…I don't know how to explain the pink… But the stomach, I can. You, Teresa?_

_Yeah, yeah… I can explain the pink. I don't like the pink. Clever idea and it seemed to have worked, but it's… disturbing…_

_Ew… Nnoitra, you just said…. Disturbing?_

_Yeah. I did, Starrk._

_Does she have to hear it then?_

_Sadly, she does. Lyenth, Sit down, girl._

The teen blinked. What had Santa Teresa just called her? Girl? What happened to Blonde Bimbo Barbie Bitch?

"Uh… okay?" She brushed some more snow off of herself and froze. "Starrk… I am not wearing anything and… why… _why is there a hole in my stomach?!"_

_Calm down, Lily. Please sit. No one will see you. No one can see you. Now, we will not laugh or make comments as young girls are very self-conscious. Right?_

_Yeah._ Teresa agreed._ I don't care if you're… Starrk nude._

_That was a bad pun...Horrible, in fact. But, forgiven. Anyhow, please sit and-_

"But…" Lyneth glanced at the cold snow. There was no way she was sitting down without her pants on. "Do I have to?"

_You can sit on me. I can get a polish afterwords._

_Really? You'd let her do that?_

_It's disturbing enough, Starrk. Sit down._

Lyenth nodded and set Santa Teresa on the ground and used him as a chair, sitting on the first curve faced away from the blade. _Can you two hear me now?_

_Yeah. _Teresa said and Lyneth heard Starrk agree.

"So… What, what is with this?" The teenaged girl asked, hoping the hole in her stomach wasn't there forever or she would have to stop wearing sexy tops to school. "You two have to tell me everything."

_Okay. _Starrk began with a sigh, _Let us refresh your memory. I said that you and I are hollows and.. Sadly, hollows all have holes in their body somewhere as it signifies their lost heart. Which doesn't mean that it is always the chest or that their heart is tied with the things they loved in life. The hole is random and has no meaning. So yours is through your stomach. Mine is through my chest where the heart is. And yes, you can still wear your cute tops. All though, I don't really want my little Lily being sexy just yet. Anyhow, I know I sound like your mother. You and I, we are kind of siblings. We were the same person, but we split. And the reason that you see the hole now is that I forced you out of your body to escape the tree. How we get back in it will be just a matter of sliding in it like a glove and the hole will be gone. But, I am afraid you may have a broken leg, seeing how your body is pinned down by thick branches. Now, Lily dear, don't be afraid…We Hollows heal quite quickly. Now, over to Teresa and, let me warn you, Teresa that if you are NOT kind and caring in your explanation, I will kill you._

Santa Teresa sighed. _Yeah… I will be. I don't like what I see, so I highly doubt she will either. _

"What won't I like?" Lyneth asked, feeling Starrk give her a mental hug as her mind was having trouble processing all he said. Out of Body? No hearts? Gloves? "What is so horrible, Santa Teresa?"

_The things I know and no one else knows. That's what. _The sword began, knowing this was not going to easy. _I… I knew Szayel better than anyone else. And even though he was not the strongest Arancarr, that's a hollow who no longer has a mask an-_

"You mean, Gabriel's a hollow too?!" Lyneth cried. "Why… why didn't you tell me?"

_Lyneth, I am sorry I didn't tell you. I figured Starrk had. But I guess I was wrong. Anyhow, Szayel had many powers. He could make little voodoo dolls with organs inside he could crush, leaving the opponent suffer horrible pain. But… the one thing that I… I am going to have to tell you about and I don't know if it's appropriate for your little-_

_She's a teen. It is okay, Teresa. I appreciate your sensitivity, though. _

_Welcome, Starrk. Anyhow, let me show you a picture of Szayel-with clothes on, Starrk!_

_Fine. Go for it._

Lyneth suddenly found herself staring at a picture of a tall but rather delicate looking man with white glasses. His hair was a brilliant pink and his eyes were amber in color which seemed brightened by his white clothes.

"That… That's Szayel?" She asked, "It… he… he looks nothing like my brother, Gabriel. I don't get it, Teresa."

_You have to get it._ The crescent sword replied._ Your brother must look something like him when he's outside his body like you are. Anyhow, continuing our story that I don't really want to tell, but I have to and just take in mind that it's just a theory. You'll have to ask Gabriel himself. IF he ever remembers. But now, let's get on with the story. In short, Szayel had this one power which he… haha, that's funny. He called it Gabriel which allowed him to re-create himself inside another being. So, I am just… I don't know HOW he would have done it, but he somehow brought all of us back from the dead with this power. Which I find is just kind of… creepy. But Szayel is the kind of person, as I know, who would do anything for survival. And anything he DID. Or so it seems._

"I kinda…get it." Lyneth wrapped her arms around her self, trying not to shiver. "Just… hurry up the story and explain the pink hair."

_Oh, yeah. I forgot you get cold. Anyhow, Pink hair. Yeah…That's where the theory comes in. My bet, is that Szayel nabbed some of our DNA, modified his eggs and-"_

"Hey!" Lyenth cried, suddenly realizing what Teresa just said. "I thought… I _swear _you said that Szayel was a man. Did you _fail_ Hollow Biology?!"

_Oh… Starrk… Help me out here._

_Szayel was a strange creature, Lily. That's all I have to say. His powers were strange and I am pretty sure he was a man._

_He is a man. _Teresa finished. _I am very sure of it. And no, I didn't fail biology, whatever that subject is. Szayel was a strange man with weird powers, as stated by the fact I am sure that he did that. It seems like him. So, we're all cursed forever with Szayel DNA and so your hair and mine surely is pink. Ew. And that is all I have to say on the matter as I am 80% sure that is what Szayel did. I know he'd do something so strange and since your DNA was part of the mess, all of your Reiatsu followed you to the location and that is why we are the same person. Which is kinda a shame… I wanted to be some hot hunk in the Caribbean…With some cute cabana boy tending to me hand and foot. Ah...  
_

"Is… Is that it?" Lyneth wondered, hearing nothing further from Teresa or Starrk. "Are you saying that… my normal, slightly cranky, but lovable all the same, brother, Gabriel brought me back to life through freaky powers that should make him a woman of all things? And what do you mean by 'all of us'?"

_Oh…. _Teresa wished he could hit himself over the head. _Oops._ _I forgot to mention the Espada. The Espada were a elite group of Hollows all organized by this idiot Soul Reaper, Aizen who is now in jail. Why? I don't know. And how I know? Some Soul Reaper tried to pick me up once and just happened to be thinking that. The annoying thing threw me in that train car…. But at least she thought I was just a boring sword. You, Lilynette, were the First Espada. The highest ranking of all of us. I was the fifth, or sixth. Yammy didn't really count. He's such a dumbass. Anyway, Szayel was the Eighth and…eek. Starrk… Did you happen to…_

_Yes. I did leave a note, Teresa. I didn't know I would be running in to you of all people, but I am can assure you that Lily's family is quite safe._

_What do you mean, safe?! _Lyneth cut in. _I have no idea what you two are talking about and I'm getting cold and scared!_

_Sorry, girl. I forgot that Starrk hasn't told you much. Szayel… He… He had this kinda bad habit of eating too much and hollows like to eat living souls and so-aw… Starrk… she's crying now, do something!_

_I can't just DO something, Teresa… In times like this, you just comfort someone. Now, Lily, don't worry. Your parents and Connor are fine….I highly doubt that Gabriel is going to eat them as he-_

_I wouldn't put it past him._

_Shut up, Teresa! I am TRYING comfort Lily!_

_But I mean, when Szayel is hungry, he's hungry._

_Aw… you're going to make me say this: **Shut the hell up**. Don't repeat that, Lily. Now, I am sure Gabriel would not eat…all of them-damn it, Teresa! You're disgusting!_

_Well… someone had to say it. As for disgusting….Oh, I won't say it. _

_Good. Now, don't worry about your family, Lily I am sure that your brother does not know who he is, so is still attached to his parents and siblings and… _

Teresa kept his mouth shut as Starrk drawled on. No need to bring up Yylfordt, right? The brother that Szayel didn't care for and laughed as he watched him die? And by the way, the poor blonde had made such a nice candlelight dinner….

* * *

Author's note: And so we have it! The magic behind this story! And aw... Teresa... you have a nice heart, but... keep your mouth shut more. As for Szayel. I wouldn't put it past him either. He's horrible.


	10. Chapter 10

"So these are all her friends and phone numbers?" Officer Douglas asked the woman who handed him a piece of paper.

"Yes." Karri said with a nod, her mind still not processing what happened. She had returned from the hospital with Connor to find Rachel and Aribella passed out on the floor and Lyneth nowhere in sight. "Yes. Those are all her friends names. Do you know if…" She hoped the two young girls weren't dead, but the EMTs had not come back in from the ambulance to tell her what was going on.

"I think they will be fine." Officer Douglas said, handing the paper to the deputy who was on the search for any other evidence. It be that of ransom demand, or some kind of struggle. Children did not just disappear out of the blue without a cause. "And Kent, did you find anything?"

"Yes." The deputy handed Douglas a note on a piece of lined paper. "I found this upstairs in the room with the white walls."

"Um…" The officer gave his fellow officer a look, "don't all the walls have white on them? It is a house."

"No, no…" Karri said, "All the rooms have different colors and my son, Gabriel has the room with the white walls. What does the note say? It is from Lyenth? Can I see it?"

Douglas shook his head. "No, I am so very sorry, it's evidence and I am so sorry, Madame."

Karri sighed and leaned on the kitchen counter, so tired and yet, so worried. "It's fine… can you read it to me?"

"Yes, of course." He tried to smile a little and began to read. "Dear Mom and Dad, I am sorry for leaving. I know you will soon come to understand, but please know that I love you. Please take care of my friends and forgiving me. I am not sure what has happened, but I love you so very much and Connor, please, what ever you do: do not irritate Gabriel. Mom, be kind and I know things shall no longer make sense to you. I am sorry. Also, guard you makeup collection. Dad, please do not irritate Gabriel as well. Or, force him to watch that TV show you like. (the sword has to stay.) Gabriel, be nice and know that I am watching. Also, step out of line I will be upset with you and will not have second thoughts. I love you all so very much and where I am going, I cannot tell you. I am sorry. And please, do not come looking for me as it shall only make me lonely. Love, forever, Lyneth. The Primera. P.s. Rachel. Aribella, I am sorry. You were the best friends anyone could ever have. Besides me of course. (Starrkie!) And I wanna kiss Jean! He's so frickin' hawt! Love ya! P.s.s. Shit, I forgot something. Gabriel, look after them. That is an order."

Karri opened her mouth to scold her daughter for such language when she realized she was crying. "Wh…why would she just leave, officer? Please, tell me."

Douglas sighed. It was never easy to tell a parent, being one himself, the many reasons why a child left home.

"Well…I know you and your husband are good parents. Sometimes, our children don't to things we want them to, but I can assure you that we will do our very best to bring your daughter home, safe and sound."

"Th…thank you." Karri wished she were more composed, but nothing really mattered anymore. "I…I will hold you to that, Officer. Now, I.. I have to." She took the box of tissues from the deputy's hands and began to wipe the tears off her face. "I have to go check on my other son who is on the phone with my husband who is at the hospital with my eldest."

"Of course. And, if you don't mind my asking," Kent began, "why were you at the hospital again? And why was your daughter not with you?"

Karri paused and glanced at the idiot deputy officer. What had he just...

"You…" She couldn't believe she had to say this, but she did anyway, "_You listen here! My daughter is thirteen years-old and very responsible and she loves me with all her heart!_ _So how dare you even suggest she ran off because I'm some kind of… kind of… abuser! I… _I don't know what else to say! We were all in a rush, she had a sleepover here with her friends and I suggested that she wait home and make sure her friends got picked up. And… it's a long story and-I am so sorry I lost it there…everything is just…"

"It's okay." The deputy replied, trying his best to understand her position, but he really hated these horrible child cases. At least the child was still supposedly alive. "Go on… what happened that caused you to leave all of a sudden?"

Karri took a deep breath and a coke that Officer Douglas handed her from the fridge. "Well… my son came home with the this sword and…" She went on to re-account this whole story, adding also that Gabriel didn't know how to use a sword and it was a wall decoration and Evan didn't have any other weapons in the house. "And so, I suggested to… to Lyneth that she stay here and make sure her friends got home safely and I… I come back and find she's gone. Her friends all… passed out on the floor. And I… I am so scared. I want her home…please. Bring her home to me."

* * *

_Lily? Lily, wake up…._

_Oh Starrk, she isn't going to wake up that easy. Oye! Cute Bitch! Wake up!_

Lyneth hit her head on the cave ceiling as she bolted away. "Hey! _Teresa!_ I am not a cute bitch! I'm just…cute. Any-ow…" She reached a hand up and rubbed her head. Last night after climbing back into her body, Starrk had her make her way to the next clearing to see if there was a cave; and sure enough, there was one just waiting for her to sleep in.

"Ow…" Lyneth groaned loudly, "I hit my head and my leg is broken from that tree… great… You two are wonderful."

_We don't mean for this to happen…._

_Really…_

"Right." Lyenth was sure she heard a bit of laughter in Santa Teresa's voice. "And I need something to eat."

_Well then, _Starrk said, yawning himself. _I suggest you don't eat the granola bar._

"Wh.." Lyenth glanced at the small bar she had taken out of her bag. Before she ran from the house, she grabbed what she thought she would need. Matches, a lighter, a pot, a few cans of food, a can opener and a few assorted bars. "Why not, Starrk?"

_Well, Hollows cannot eat human-Lilynette, no!_

"It tastes fine to me." The teenaged girl took another bite. "I don't see why you're panicking. It tastes grainy, but I'm fine."

_You don't feel sick? _Teresa asked as Lyneth picked him up from where he was laying in the depth of the cave. _Not at all?_

"N..No?"

_Well, then. It must be staggered as I suspected. Don't eat anything tomorrow, Lily._

"Okay?" Lyneth figured it was best to agree as Starrk would be sure to make her do so anyhow. "I feel fine."

_All right. I suppose you will be fine for another day. Now, get up. We need to go to town. _

"Town?" She cried. They were in the middle of nowhere in the woods! There was no town in sight!

_Let me have your feet, Lily._

Lyenth sighed and allowed her feet to be turned over to her other self, her legs going numb. She watched herself limp towards the west and over countless mounds of snow. An hour later, she and Santa Teresa spied a small and rather old, but still living, mining town. The buildings were rather rundown and the signs were faded, but the scent of freshly baked fish wafted in her direction, making Lyenth remember how hungry she was.

"Oh… Starrk…" She muttered, her feet heading towards the smell. "I… I want some now! I-hey! Where are you going?!" Her feet were walking past the old bar and down towards the other end of the small row of buildings. "Where are you going, Starrk?! I want some-"

Something sent shivers up her spine.

_No..._

It was a feeling she knew all to well.

Lyneth took a deep breath and slowly turned around.

Standing before her was a man in his late thirties. He was wearing a pair of worn out jeans and a blue winter coat. On his face were a small smile and his brown eyes matched his hair that was covered by a pair of square glasses.

Their knees went weak and the Primera Espada crashed to the ground.

Sosuke Aizen stared in shock as the teenager with blonde hair fell before his feet.

_Why does she look so… _His mind began to click, his senses picking up a reiatsu he hadn't felt in…maybe, twenty years. _But… that… that can't be possible. They all died! I know they did. Killed Harribel myself, worthless traitor.  
_

_ Lily. __Don't look in his eyes._ Starrk tried to keep his voice level, but Lyneth was picking up his fear as The inside half of the Primera forced them to stand up on two shaking legs. _Stay calm, don't… say anything about me, the swords, Gabriel, anything._

_And…what is… _Aizen glanced at what the young girl was holding in her hands as she climbed to her feet. _A… double crescent sword? But…_He paused, not sure what to say or do. _Either that's an interesting sword, or… _

Lyenth watched the man with brown hair put a hand over his mouth and begin laughing.

_Or justice has been served! Nnoitra Gilga has been turned into a girl! Hahaaaaa…._

_Run, Lyenth._

_What? Why? It's just a redneck! _

_No, RUN, Bitch, run! This-that there, is Aizen and he's laughing! _

_What? Aizen, who?_

_Leader of the Espada!_

_But I thought he was a-_

_No, he's evil. Run, Lily!_

_But I…_Lyneth glanced up at the laughing 'Aizen' and tried to move her feet, but they were stuck. _I can't, Starrk! I can't move!  
_

_Yes, you can! He's weaker now, I can feel it. Give me your feet and hold on to Teresa!_

_Um… Alright?_

In an instant, her legs went numb again and the three of them took off down the street away from Aizen who was finally beginning to compose himself. The idea that Nnoitra had somehow returned as a girl was ridiculous, but the idea his Espada, (no matter how nasty-tempered and foul mouthed), had returned was believable.

The Former Shinigami watched Nnoitra run off and smiled to himself. _I suppose he still fear me for I know that he would never run from a fight. And yet…I don't know if it was Nnoitra for I somehow sensed..._

He paused, the pieces not quite adding up to what he thought.

_Szayelaporro._

* * *

Author's Note: Ah... Aizen has returned... and I love it when he's confused...Szayel DNA works wonders... and I HAD to poke fun at all the fictions of people bringing Nnoitra back as a girl. It is always so funny! And the justice part was inspired by the Female Praying Mantis of Hogwarts and all the other stories. Yeah. That's right. It's exactly what you think. Anyhow, I feel so bad for Karri...

And thank you so much everyone for following and reviewing this story. It makes me so happy! :)


	11. Chapter 11

_Please stop, Starrk! _Lyenth begged, tears running down her face as they ran through the dense woods, her broken leg grinding bone on bone. _Please... Please stop running! _

_I will not. I refuse. _Starrk stated, doingthe one thing he knew he had to do in that moment if they were to survive. He took over the rest of Lilynette's body, taking the pain away and shoving her into the depth of his mind where she belonged. "I cannot let us be captured. And I know what is best for us."

_How do you know! _Lyneth screamed at him, not sure where she was, the world around her becoming dark. W_hat did you do?! Please! I… I am so-_

_Calm down, girl._

Lyenth froze. His voice were so close.

She glanced to her left into the darkness and saw nothing. "Teresa?!"

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Where?"

"In your head. You are in your own head. Starrk took over and don't you dare start screaming. We will explain all of this once we find a safe place."

Lyneth nodded. She could feel Starrk's panic and fear taking over every inch of their body. The thoughts running through his head, the sound of his heart pounding madly and the sense of pain in his left leg.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Teresa asked from the darkness.

"Yeah, it is." Lyenth had no idea that Starrk, the sleepy one thought so much. "I didn't know what…went on in here… I mean… can you see me, Teresa?"

"Nah. I can't. We swords have no form, just thought. Sure, I may hold my master's extra arms and horns, but I do not have a magic form. That's stuff that happens Anime or what not. This, on the other hand is real life. We ain't so cool."

"Oh…" Lyneth knew exactly what he meant. "I get it and-"

_What the… Lilynette! _Starrk screamed, suddenly stopping dead in his tracks. _How dare you think such vulgar things about Shawn Macy, the… hot… hunk from that… Oh… teen movie. _

"Hey…" Santa Teresa cut in, half laughing at what he saw. "She's a teen girl, Starrk, give up already. These thoughts are completely normal. It's a part of growing up."

Lyneth blushed. Forgetting that Santa Teresa could see her thoughts as long as he were being held by Starrk.

"And no need to be embarrassed, girl." The Crescent sword stated, only to snap: "Starrk, stop gaping over the fact she wants to make out with this fictional character and get running! Aizen, remember?!

_Oh… Yes…Aizen. I was thinking about Shawn and wait a sec… who is this boy?_

"What boy?" Lyneth asked, thinking about the way he danced to his own music.

_The one with the headphones, black hair and geeky grin?_

"Oh…" Lyneth snickered, wishing that she hadn't thought about _him. _"That… that's Jean. He goes to my school and we're in the same grade and aw… he's cute… And he's so neat. He listens to his music a lot and doesn't care what people think. I wish I could be like that."

_I see. Now, can we please stop thinking about KISSING him?! You're too young to kiss someone!_

"Please…" Lyneth groaned, suddenly remembering why she were out here in the middle of the woods in the cold and snow running away from Aizen. "I can't. I'd kill him. So you get your wish. Lyneth here is NOT going to be kissing anyone and… and… that's… that's just depressing…_"_

"Yeah…" Santa Teresa sighed, feeling kind of sorry again for Lilynette's people problem. "That kinda sucks. Anyhow, are we anywhere yet?"

_Yes. We are a good distance from Aizen, but I am afraid that he may be on our trail. And worse, I am rather lost and… my leg won't move and…_Starrk looked down at his dainty lady leg and winced. The limb were covered in blood and a white bone was protruding from the flesh. "I can't run anymore. I am sorry."

_Oh, Starrk…_Lyneth sighed. _I am so sorry. It looks horrible!_

_Hehe… blood… I like blood… _

_Um… Earth to Teresa?_

_Lots and lots of blood… _

_TERESA!_

_Bloo-Sorry. I got carried away there. I love to fight and if Aizen wants a fight, I'll give it to him._

"Good." Starrk slid down to the ground at the base of a tree and closed his eyes. This were all a mess. If there were only something he could do as he felt Aizen approaching at a fair speed. "At least he's slower than before…"

_And weaker, didn't you say?_

"Yes, Lily. I said weaker."

_And Starrkie, cute bitch, didn't you kill people by being around them? What if you can just use that fact? _

_What do you…you are a genius, Teresa! _

_Yeah, thanks. But you won't kill me, will you?_

_No. _Starrk wanted to stand, but he couldn't find the strength to. _As long as I hold onto you, you will be protected from that power as you will be connected with me as my Reiatsu flows outward. And… here he comes. Lily, hold on. Here we-_

Aizen appeared in the middle of the forest pathway, his hair a bit messed from his flash-step use and he was a bit out of breath which surprised Starrk for once in his life.

"Well…Who do we have here?" Aizen inquired, straightening his posture and casually walking over towards the tired teenager who was sitting at the base of a tree. "And why? I swear… all of you have died. Unless…you are in fact, a coward, Nnoitra."

_I am not a fucking coward, you fucking-_

_Hey…that's cool._

_What's cool, Starrk? _Lyneth asked, wishing she could put her hand over Teresa's mouth as it cussed to no end.

_He thinks we're Nnoitra. The Fifth Espada. That makes things…Oh wait…_

"But then again… Are you just fooling me, Szayel?" Aizen really was not sure who this was. First off, he felt Starrk and Lilynette and yet he saw Nnoitra's sword and there was a touch of Szayelaporro to top this sundae.

_Damn… _Teresa muttered, trying to stifle a laugh as he realized what Aizen was saying. _He's confused… Do you think we can get out of this, Starrk?_

_I don't know. Maybe. But-_

Aizen frowned from where he was looming over the mash of Espadas. "I demand to know you name and rank."

_I don't think so. _Starrk said mournfully.

_Then just fucking hit him with Reiatsu, already!_

_All right. But then, we give ourselves away._

_I know! But we need to get out of here! _Teresa argued as Aizen began to become impatient with the lack of response. _And quick, because he can kill us!_

Starrk closed his eyes and took a deep breath as if he were going to speak and a blast of blue energy shot up around his body and the surrounding area, engulfing Aizen in its power.

_YES! _Teresa screamed, feeling the thrill of battle making his blood sing. _Now, kill him!_

_I am trying! _Starrk replied angrily, intensifying his Riatsu so much that Aizen could hardly move under the pressure. But somehow, the Soul Reaper were slowly opening his mouth to speak. The only words that the First Espada knew would come out of Aizen's mouth would be a Kido Spell. So, Starrk did the one thing he could do.

He placed his bloodied left hand on his head. _"Los Lobos."_

And the forest around him exploded in a mass of royal blue.

* * *

Author's Note: Tsari has amazing drawing skill. She drew Pagan for me today and I love it. He looks so handsome!

tsarinatormentDOTtumblrDOTcom / post / 85711718921 /pagan - also - known - as - grimmjows - reincarnation

If you adore it like I do, please re-blog it or read one of Tsari Torment's lovely stories! Also, sending a PM her way is also good. Thank you so much Tsari as this picture is amazing. And yes, we just spoiled another identity. :)


	12. Chapter 12

Souske Aizen couldn't move.

His limbs frozen by the dense reiatsu.

Slowly seeping his life away from him.

"Ki…"And that was all his mouth could form as he watched the teenage girl emerge from the smoke, dressed in leather and fur, two deadly guns in hand. "Kido No…"

Starrk fired both guns at the same time.

Aizen screamed the first thing that came to mind: "Bakudō #81. Dankū!"

The clear barrier created by the words came up just in time to block the first Espada's attack, but Starrk's fingers were faster than Aizen's mouth and the wall exploded into fragments.

"The game is up." Starrk muttered, pulling the trigger.

The ceros hit Aizen full on and the Soul Reaper slammed into at tree with such force, it fell over.

"And don't you…" Starrk glanced over and blinked. What had he done? Aizen was out cold in the snow. "How nice…"

_Kill him! Kill him! _Teresa screamed, in his head. _Kill the fucking bastard! _

_Yes._ Starrk leveled his guns at his former ruler and thousands of Ceros began to blast away at the unconscious Soul Reaper. _And yet… why… Why am I not feeling his Reiatsu drain much at all?! This... This can't be right! He's weaker, that's for sure as I am starting to burn his skin… But… I'm the Primera Espada! This can't be-_

_Let me kill him! Let me kill him! Let me-_

_Teresa. You are no use without your owner! And you can't; as I can hardly put a dent in him with all of my power…_

_Oh! Oh! Try Grande Rey Cero!_

Starrk reached a finger up to his mouth and bit into the skin.

A drop of blood dipped on to end of the gun.

_I hope this does something… _

"_Grande Rey Cero." _

A huge blast of royal blue connected with Aizen's head and sent the man into the nearest tree. Knocking him out cold.

_Hah. _Starrk smiled, finally feeling a drop in riatsu. He glanced at Aizen's body and was pleased when it did not move. "…I think I gave him brain damage. A major concussion of sorts. He isn't going to wake up for some time now…"

_Why don't you do it again and kill him already?!_

"I know that's what you want, Teresa. That's what I want too, but he's still too powerful to be dealt with one on one. He might be absorbing my powers as I feel like I am missing some of my reiatsu. I would never be able actually kill him on my own and the only way to do that would be to find Harribel, Ulquiorra and… someone save us, Baraggan."

_And me! And me! You have me! I'm a fighting machine!_

"You're a suicidal warrior." Starrk drawled, grabbing Aizen by the robe collar/"I've seen you fight, Teresa…But fine, you too. We've been lucky. Now, let us leave. I'm going to dump him in a freezing lake with rocks in his pockets until I can deal with him."

_Good idea. Let him freeze, drown, whatever. Just get the hell rid of him!_

_Will do. _Starrk grabbed the Soul Reaper by the leg and dragged him through the forest the best he could until he came to a large lake.

"Sadly…" Starrk muttered, staring at the water that was only beginning to free as it were autumn. "There is no ice. So," he picked up a few more rocks to add to the ones he collected along the way to put in Aizen's pockets and socks and shirt.

The First Espada made his way around to a place where he could reach the water as the shore was covered in large slabs of rock. Once to the water's edge, Starrk did his best to shove the former leader of the Espada below the until he heard the sounds of Aizen settle on the bottom of the lake did Starrk dare to turn around.

_Now… We have to find Harribel and the rest of us. _

_Given she's alive._

* * *

"What.. are you doing… back so soon?" Vicente asked Azura from where he was laying on the couch, a washcloth on his forehead.

"It didn't go so- Hey! Azura cried, realizing her brother was slacking off again like he always seemed to do. "What the hell are you doing on the couch, you lazy dumbass?! I told you to get work done here while I was gone!"

"I am not lazy!" Vicente cried, as his sister came into view, a dangerous look in her eye. "I… my head… it hurts so much…."

"What ever. Get up." She grabbed Vicente's arm and dragged him off the couch and to his feet. "I just got word that Coeur ratted to us to the police and disappeared. Now, Mom is doing her best to clear things up and Dad isn't very-Are you listening?"

"N…No." Vicente muttered, his sister's voice was far too loud for him right now. "My…head hurts."

"Right. Dad isn't-"

"Azura…You love me right?"

"Yeah. You're my bro."

"Then," Vicente prayed this would work, "please… let me sleep and stop yelling… You're making my headache worse."

Azura loosened her grip on her brother's arm a bit. "Oh…"

"Yeah." Vicente winced as the sound of his own voice was too loud.

"Sorry." She whispered, setting her brother back down on the couch. "I forgot. Do you want some tea?"

"Yeah…" Vicente whispered, glad that his sister was at least kind to him of all people. Sure, she may have been a cold-hearted bitch, but she cared for the well-being of her closest friend. Ever since they were little, they were almost nothing but employees of their parents who ran one of the gangs in Toronto. Being their parents' kids gave him and Azura a good standing with the rest of the members, but on the other hand, a hell of a lot of people wanted them dead.

Which made it difficult for either to trust anyone besides themselves. And even one another.

But that never stopped Azura from looking after her little brother who suffered from migraines. "And here." She came over to the couch handed Vicente a warm cup of tea. "It's mint. Anyhow." She sat down on the chair next to the couch and pulled out her knife to play with. Today, Azura was wearing jeans and a black tank top, her red hair in a pony-tail. "I don't know what to do about Coeur, Vicente. Sure, he doesn't owe us much, but he ratted on us. And that, is a death warrant right there. Don't you think?"

"Yeah." Vicente agreed, wondering for a moment what they should do to that scum. "But…"

"Yeah. I know, poor Toby." Azura wasn't going to say that the loss of Vicente's favorite gun wasn't her fault. It was the fault of the victim who sank with it into a lake. "Anyhow, you are right, bro. We have to leave for a while. Maybe forever."

"Yeah…"

"We are going to head north, okay?" Azura asked, standing up and stretching her hands over her head. "And I'll even pack for you and all. We have to leave tonight."

"Cool." Vicente said and with a small kiss on the cheek, Azura left him to his pain and misery.

_How are we going to find them? _Lyneth thought as she walked away from the lake, feeling she were complete. Starrk and herself becoming one, once again. _And yet, I am up to the challenge._

"I do! I do! I do and I'll tell you if you let me kill him!" Teresa screamed at the single Espada he sensed had merged, becoming far stronger than before. "I'll pick up a whole iceburg and bash his head in!"

_You wouldn't stand a chance, Teresa… Now, I will let you fight, but I won't let you die. Not again, you dumb thing. _

_Hey! I am not dumb you, lame-ass cowboy who can't even ride a horse! I'm awesome!_

_Fine…I'll give you that. _Lyneth thought, walking back into the woods, Los Lobos tucked into her hip holsters._ You are pretty neat, Santa Teresa Now, tell me how you think we should try and find Harribel, Ulquiorra and… Why me, Baraggan?_

"Because!" Teresa cried, all to happy to have inside information. "Szayel brought them all back, right? And Aizen thought that… that we were Szayel because we are forever cursed with his stupid DNA, I love him, but seriously. The DNA thing is weird. And so, close your eyes and use Pesquisa! I have the best, ever and I may be able to help you as you and Lily are one and so, I can filter my thoughts through her and so-"

_Like totally ew!_ The Primera complained, making a face. _You are so not doing that, Teresa. Now, if you say that the other people are just as powerful as we are and we can sense them, why don't we just look for them. Big plumes of blue light, right?_

"No, no…" Teresa said, forgetting Lily was new to this. "Harribel has yellow, Baraggan, dark red and Ulquiorra has green-black. Every one of us has different color energy."

_So, we should just look for their-_

"It won't work, Starrkie!" Teresa cried, "Why? Because, Szayel got smart. He IS always smart. I bet he must have sealed their energy in their swords and done some crazy stuff, but from my thoughts on the matter, we won't be finding any Espada until they find their swords and until then, we can only track Szayel's Riatsu residue. And it's so faint that only I can sense it from this far away! Onward, Starrkie! To the left!"

"Uh… huh… and why is that?" The Primera wondered out loud, finally finding her way back to her cave."Why can only you sense it?"

_Because I have THE best Pesquisa and I know it better than anyone else._

"What do you-_ don't ask him questions like that. It's bound to be vulgar…_

"EWW!" The cowboy screamed, suddenly remembering what Santa Teresa told her previously. _"_I still don't believe you went out with him! That's my brother, you weird thing!"

"Yeah? So?" Teresa laughed, sensing that Lilynette's personality was more out. "You were not always related, you know."

The Primera froze.

"What?!" She screeched, hitting her head on the cave roof. "What did you say?"

"I said, you were not always related." Teresa said, "Back in the day, Szayel was just an other Espada you happened to know. I think he set this all up to his advantage… Of course. Totally him. Made the Primera his sister and so he'd be protected for life."

_Sounds like him. But that… that isn't right! Gabriel wouldn't do something like that! He wouldn't use me. I know it._

"Haha…" Teresa drawled, too happy about this. "Szayel would walk ALL over people even if the people didn't know it. It was his thing."

"_But…He loves me!" _The Primera cried, knowing that for a fact.

"Well, I wou-"

_Don't. Say that and I will break you in two, Teresa! And w_hat was it that he was going to-"

_You don't need to concern yourself with it, Lily. You're right. Gabriel does love you and so…_he paused to confine more of his personal thoughts in the back of his mind as he learned over to the years to do. _Let us go start our search for Harribel and Barggan. Ulquiorra is powerful, but he is the fourth. But then again… Maybe…_

"Yeah…" Teresa muttered, "We should."

The Primera nodded and the guns disappeared from their side and the two became separate once again.

Starrk immediately took over and turned his around as Lyenth asked where they were headed. "To go get Gabriel." Starrk replied, feeling that she knew what just happened to her, being his sword and all. "He is bound to know where the rest are."

"But we can't go back, Teresa!" Lyenth said, trying to shake the strange feeling of being apart from Starrk again. "We'd kill him and my parents!"

_Then… why don't we send him a letter? Or Teresa?_

"Oh, yes! Yes! Yes! Mail me! Mail me! I wanna see Fornicaras! AHHH! So handsome and damn sexy!"

"EW! Teresa!" Lyneth screamed, as Starrk noted, _You don't need to drool, Teresa. _

"I am hardly doing that!" Teresa yelled back, "I am just stating Fornicaras is sexy! Now, let's go to the post office and someone put me in a box!"

* * *

"There." Azura announced half an hour later as she walked into the living room with two large duffel bags in hand. "We are all packed."

Vicente smiled a bit from where he was still laying on the couch, not feeling better, but the earlier cup of tea was a nice gesture. "I am ready too. You're going to have to help me up here…"

Azura nodded and carried the bags to the door of the house. "Yes. In a moment. I was thinking we could to jump a train and head north."

"But…" Vicente felt like such a wimp to suggest such a thing, "isn't that dangerous?"

"Yeah." Azura said, coming over to help her brother slowly stand up. "But if we die, it will be better than facing the police or our parents who are likely to shoot us again."

"Yeah…" Vicente would have nodded, but his head hurt too much. "I agree."

By midnight, the two were safely aboard a train, unknowing were it would take them, nor of the adventure ahead.

* * *

Author's note: I would like to thank Tsari Torment for her help on this chapter and her help with the whole story. She put light onto Azura and Vicente's past. Thanks so much for helping me figure them out! :)

Also, Timothy, Tsari read your review of the last chapter and is flattered by your kind words.


	13. Chapter 13

After a warm breakfast that Sunday morning made Coeur want to cry, having lived on frozen waffles for the past two months, he and Pagan sat at the table playing cards.

"Do you have any fives?" Coeur inquired, glancing at his two other fives.

"No." Pagan replied, sorting through his hand, not sure why when ever guests came over, they ended up playing go-fish. "I'm tired of this game."

"Me too." Coeur agreed, sitting his hand of cards down on the light oak table. "Anything else we can do?"

"Go for a walk? We can't risk going into the city to go to a movie or something." Pagan reached forwards and began to clean up the cards. "For a few days, that is."

"True…"

"And we have five acres here to explore." Pagan pointed out, scooting his chair away from the table. "Most of it is woods."

"I like that idea. Let's do it."

So, ten minutes later the two of them were headed out into the morning sun for a walk.

"Oh…"

"What?" Pagan asked, looking over to see Coeur covering his eyes from the sun.

"Ugh… Haven't been outside in days. No wonder Vicente was able to attack me from behind." Coeur muttered, wishing he hadn't had to hide in the rundown apartment on the edge of town. "But… it's all right. So…" He removed his hands from his eyes and glanced around at the forest beyond Pagan's house. "Is that all your's?"

"Yep." Came the reply along with a crazy grin.. "Do you want to go explore it?"

"Yes. Sounds like a good idea." Coeur said as Pagan's phone gave a loud ring.

"Eek!" The blonde cried, fishing it out of his pocket. He glanced at the number and sighed. "Sorry, Couer. I gotta get this one."

"No problem."

"Hi, Jean." Pagan said, a little upset that his cousin called him at a time like this, but knew that Jean didn't know what he was up to. "How are you?"

"Good." Jean's cheery voice replied. He was sitting on his bed, half-reading a comic book. "I thought I might call and see what's up with you. I don't have much going on. But one thing, my friend from school, well… not friend rea-"

"You like them, don't you?" Pagan knew that tone of voice anywhere.

"Yeah… kinda. She's real nice." Jean confessed, not sure what else to say as he hadn't really talked to her much. "I just… I just read in the paper that she went missing last night."

"Missing?"

"Yeah, Pagan, missing."

"That's not good. But The Divine will look out for her, I know it."

"Yeah.. Yeah…" Jean sighed and turned the page of his comic book. "I know… I just… Pagan, can I tell you something?"

"Yeah? Give me a sec." Pagan gave Coeur a glance and walked off a few feet so that the conversation couldn't be overheard. "There. What is it?"

"What if she doesn't come back? I mean, I… I really like her. Lyneth, I mean."

"I understand, Jean. That's rough." Pagan admitted. "But I am sure she'll show up."

"…Yeah. I guess you're right. Anyhow, what's up with you?"

"Lots." Pagan glanced over his shoulder at Coeur who shrugged, not caring if he was waiting around a little longer. "You see, the XL Pipeline Rally didn't turn out so well. Ended up in jail and I ended up bailing someone out with me. He has a good heart and was just caught up in a mess."

"Ah… who is it?"

"I'd rather not say over the phone."

"Cool. In deep, then?"

"Yeah, Jean, you could say that." Pagan laughed, realizing he was now tied into the same mess Coeur was. "But anyway, we're heading for a walk and-'

"You'll have to bring him over." Jean cut in, knowing that tone of voice. "I mean, if it has been long enough since you broke up with Nicholas and-"

"Hey!" Pagan cried. How dare his Cousin assume he liked Coeur! That was just an insane idea! "_I am not!_"

"Then… Why are you whispering?" Jean had to inquire, putting away his comic book and grabbed the next volume. "Haha… I knew it… I knew it…"

"_No, you don't!"_

"Yes, I do! I know that voice!"

"Jean… please."

"'Jean, pulezzse…' " Jean had to mock, just because he could. He had nothing better to do with his life and goodness knew Pagan could do with a bit of mocking. "I don't love the guy… Boo-hoo-hoo… the one I just met in jail and now I wanna smooch… and aw… He hung up." The teen sighed and put his phone on his bed next to him.

"That didn't sound very productive." Coeur stated as Pagan walked back over to him with an angry look on his face.

"No, it wasn't." The blonde replied, walking right past and heading off towards the woods. Coeur sighed and raced after him, figuring what ever this Jean had said was really getting to Pagan.

"Hey." Coeur said, appearing next to his friend as he walked. "What's wrong?'

"Aw… just Jean. He's adorable, but sometimes annoying."

"Aren't all cousins?"

"Yeah…" Pagan marched on into the woods, Coeur followed along behind, not sure if he should say anything. So he didn't.

The two walked through the trees, climbed over fallen logs and soon the dense forest opened to a small, but wide, river.

"Wow." Coeur gasped, not expecting to see a river out in the woods so close to Pagan's house. "It…" The water was clear and the rocks underneath were labs of polished black slate. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah." Pagan took off his shoes and waded up to his knees to sit on a rock slab sticking out of the in the middle of the water. "I know."

"Hey." Coeur knew it was none of his business, but he could not help himself. "What's wrong? You were fine before your phone call."

"Yeah." Pagan replied.

"You just keep…" Coeur rolled his green eyes. "You are going to just keep saying 'yeah', aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Very effective people skills." The Thief observed, sitting down on a rock on the bank of the river to take his shoes off. "Or so I will say."

"Yeah. You trying to be sarcastic or is it just me?"

"No." Coeur began to roll up his pants so they would not become damp. "I am not being sarcastic in the least."

"Good." Pagan let things be. "Because if there is one thing I hate is it's sarcasm."

Coeur did not by that in the least. "Right." He slowly dipped his toe in the water and quickly withdrew his foot. "Oh… that's cold!"

"Yeah."

"Pagan…" He began, sitting down again to put his socks back on as fast as possible. "I do not know that many people, nor do I have many friends. However, I am sensing that something is bothering you."

"Yeah."

"What is it, by chance?" Coeur was not sure how in the world Pagan could stand the cold of the water; let alone get up and walk over to a rock a few feet away where the water was past his knees. "I know it is none of my business and-"

"Yeah. It's your business." Pagan knew he must be crazy. "Why? Because Jean said a few things that… That I didn't want to hear."

"Did…" Coeur was not sure how in the world Jean would have known, but, "Did he hear something about Vicente and Azura?"

"No, no. He doesn't know a thing."

"Then, what does he know?"

"That…I think I like you."

Coeur nodded and untied his shoes as his socks were not warm enough to cover his freezing toes. "I see."

"And… I just feel foolish. Yeah?" Pagan asked, turning around to face a person he hardly knew and met yesterday in jail of all things. "I hope so, because I feel like I'm going nuts. I don't know you and yet I feel like I have known you forever. Kinda like that cat you take home and then, after a week can't imagine life with out that cat and you think to yourself, what a loser you were before you had said cat?"

Coeur nodded again. Slower this time.

That made sense. Strange as it was.

Coeur smiled a little. "Yes. I do."

"And what's worse is that…"

"You think I wouldn't like you?" Coeur offered. It was fair enough. But…" I was feeling the same way. Now, let me see if I get this right. And tell me, if I am insane. I just… I know these things. 1. You have this sense of honor that you can't explain. 2. You don't like to follow rules. 3. You like to yell a lot."

Coeur watched Pagan freeze. His eyes wide with shock.

"…_Yeah!"_

"I know. I don't know how I know." Coeur continued, his voice shaking as he spoke. "I truly don't. I… I feel like I've known you forever as well and I… I did not know how to put it into words and I-"

"Hey!" Pagan held up his hand. "Let me do the same for you! List three things and all. 1. You don't mind being bored. 2. You love rules. 3…3… I can't think of-I have it! 3. Oh.. No. I don't have three. Never mind. But did I get the two right?"

Coeur nodded. "I… I have never told anyone that. My sister knows I tend to follow rules, but she doesn't know how much of a…yes, I am a rule-freak. And I… I truly don't mind being bored. Where as you try not to… to… mess thing up."

'Yeah…" Pagan smiled a bit and began to walk back through the river towards his friend, water sloshing a bit more than it should. "You got me on that one. And you hate to fix things. It's fact."

"Yes." Coeur slid a bit to the left on the rock he were sitting on to make room for Pagan to join him. "I do. And… yes. Jean is right. Right on both sides. For me, since we're both insane, and that's a bit unnerving, but you are that cat I brought home."

"Really?" Pagan wasn't sure if Coeur had heard his whole speech or not. "I mean, I'm not really-"

"But you are. When I met you yesterday, I felt like I knew you since… I don't know when. However, I felt rather irritated by your unruly behavior, yet I took some comfort in it. Like I met an old friend. And now, I oddly enough find myself liking you as well. And I just…"

"Said something stupid you wish you hadn't?"

"Yeah!" Coeur said and they both laughed.


End file.
